Reunited
by Onyx Obsidian
Summary: *Repost* Hermione's living a good life until a tragedy changes that. Meanwhile, Severus is drowning in a sea of boredom. Until he meets the Gryffindor Princess again, he thought teaching was all that was left for him. SS/HG ; HP/DM ; GW/DT Rated for language, adult scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Let it be known far and wide - I own nothing. My name is not JK Rowling, for if it were, well...I wouldn't live in Missouri and currently be freezing my buns off. I'd have my own island in the Caribbean somewhere. (wink)**

 **Well, here we are again. Welcome to the revamped Reunited. There will be some changes made, but some things are staying the same. For instance, there will still be a Drarry romance. Honestly, Harry and Draco are just adorable together, so I couldn't change that. And, obviously, there will be a SS/HG romance ahead. There will also be scenes that earn that 'M' rating up there.**

 **Alright. Take a read and let me know what you thought. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Warning for this chapter: Language ; Adult scene**

* * *

 _Friday - 11 AM - Granger residence - London_

"And don't forget to..."

"To get the bank deposits from Gina on Thursday after the clinic closes." Hermione finished, nodding. "I know, Mum, I know."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I just...I just want everything to go smoothly while we're gone." Helena said, clenching and unclenching her fists nervously. "Oh! And don't forget to water my plants..."

"On Tuesday at ten, yes, Mum." Hermione said, chuckling. "You've told me this about a hundred times, not to mention the list you left in the kitchen, and the fact that _I did used to live here_. I got it, I promise." she said.

"Maybe we shouldn't go." Helena said, frowning. "I mean...they don't really need me at that conference. Or, your father can go and I'll stay. I should stay..."

"Mum, relax." Hermione said, hugging her. "It's only a week, and I swear I won't let anything happen to Aiden, and if it does - _which it won't_ \- I'll call you." she said. "Right after I call emergency services." she added with a chuckle, pulling away.

"Hermione..."

"Joking, Mum, joking!" Hermione laughed, holding her hands up. "Nothing will happen, I swear. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my baby brother for a week, and if I need something, Molly is _literally_ less than five seconds away."

"Well, alright." Helena agreed, still frowning. Letting out a breath, she nodded. "You're right, love. And, don't think I don't trust you, because I do, it's just...he's my baby, and he's still just a baby, and..."

"I got it, Mum." Hermione said, smiling softly. "But everything will be fine. You'll have fun doing dentist stuff, we'll have fun doing baby stuff, and we'll see you in a week."

"Alright, alright." Helena smiled. Kissing Hermione on the cheek, she patted her on the other cheek. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too, Mum." Hermione smiled.

"Alright, Helena." Matthew said, handing the couple's three month old son to his wife. "Kiss the baby goodbye, and then we need to get going." he said, wrapping his arms around his daughter. "Oh, I gonna miss you, my little Mia." he said, squeezing her.

"I'll miss you, too, Daddy." Hermione laughed, kissing his cheek. "Just make sure you bring me a souvenir."

Kissing the top of her head, he nodded. "You got it, love." Pulling away, he plucked her chin, winking at her. "Helena, let's make a move." he said.

"Oh, okay." his wife sighed, kissing her baby's cheeks once more. "Mummy loves you, and will see you in a week, but in the meantime, your sister's going to take excellent care of you." she said, reluctantly passing him to Hermione.

"You know I will." Hermione said, playfully rolling her eyes at her mother. "Hello, my baby. We're going to have so much fun this week, yes we are." she said, laughing when he squealed at her. "You guys have fun at the conference." she said, walking with her parents to the door.

"Oh, it's gonna be wild." her father said sarcastically, grabbing the keys from the hook in the foyer.

"I'm sure it won't be too boring, love." Helena said, playfully smacking her husband on the behind as she chuckled. "Oh! One more thing, Hermione. Aiden has a doctor's appointment on Friday for his check-up, so don't forget that."

"I won't, Mum." Hermione said, chuckling as her dad began to drag her to the car.

"Oh, and I left the hotel's number on the fridge. And if you have any problems, call Mrs. Walker down the street, and..."

"For god's sake, Helena, she knows." Matthew grumbled. "We're gonna miss our plane if we don't leave now." he said, nearly pushing her into the car. "Bye, love." he called, running around to his side of the car.

"Bye. Love you!" Hermione yelled, waving as they pulled out of the drive.

* * *

 _Following Wednesday - 3 PM - Granger residence - London_

Three month old Aiden Granger wasn't happy, a fact he was making known - loudly. It seemed that no matter what Hermione did, the baby just got more and more upset, and his cries got louder and louder.

"Shhh, come on, Aidy." she said in a soft voice, rubbing soothing circles on his back as he buried his face in her shirt. "What's the matter, huh?" she asked, walking back and forth across the living room. She noticed on the third time around, though, that Aiden's cries quieted when they were in view of a photograph of their parents.

"Ah, I see." she said softly, smiling. "You miss Mummy, huh, big man?" she chuckled. Grabbing the photograph, she went to the chair and sat, placing the photo in view of the upset baby. "Alright. What say we try this again?" she asked, holding his bottle up to his mouth, smiling when he eagerly opened and began suckling, all the time staring at the photo of their parents.

Staring down at the baby, Hermione couldn't help but smile. For as long as she remembered, she'd wanted a baby brother or sister, but her parents had always been too busy to have another child, stating that she was enough for them, and their family was complete. Hermione had always gotten a bit upset by that, but it got better when she met Harry. There was something about Harry that called to the sister side of her, and she had made him her brother in her heart, a fact that was fully reciprocated by Harry.

That all changed just about four months ago, though. On the night of her Hogwarts graduation, she had met her parents for dinner at a very upscale restaurant. While it was mostly a celebratory dinner in honor of her achievements during her time at Hogwarts - Head Girl, War Heroine, NEWT record setter, - it was also to tell her that her mother was unexpectedly expecting, and how she had around two months until the newest Granger made their appearance. Her parents had kept it a secret during her Christmas visit that they were pregnant. The two had explained they had kept it secret in case anything went wrong, and at her disbelief, Helena had stood, proudly showing off her nearly eight month baby bump.

That night, not only did Hermione find out about her new sibling, but so did the entire restaurant when Hermione uncharacteristically squealed, launching herself at her parents as she cried tears of happiness.

Hermione was on cloud nine for the next several months. In addition to the impending baby, she had gotten a job with the Ministry in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and had provided influential evidence in several trials of Death Eaters. All her fears she had during the last several weeks about the Golden Trio drifting apart were laid to rest during that time when Ron, in a surprisingly touching moment, pointed out that they were still working together - he and Harry catching the bad guys, Hermione helping put them away.

On top of everything else, Hermione had gotten herself her very first flat. She felt it only right that since she had a job, and was nineteen, that she be on her own, not living with her parents. So, she had looked in both muggle London and Diagon Alley, which led to her finding one she adored in Diagon Alley, just a few blocks from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. It wasn't huge, but it was perfect for her. It was a three bedroom, which gave her two spare rooms - one that she turned into her personal study/library, and one to be a guest room for any of her friends who might need it. Hermione had, in just a short period of time, turned it into her own - a place she felt peaceful in, and a place in which her friends always knew they were welcome, day or night.

Then, just three short months ago, on the twentieth of June, at four in the morning, Aiden Matthew Granger made his appearance a few weeks early. Hermione couldn't believe how quickly she had fallen in love with the boy, wanting to be there to see his every moment. As she swayed back and forth as she stood in her mother's hospital room, staring down in adoration, she silently promised to be there for him no matter what happened, when it happened, where it happened, or how it happened. She swore to be someone Aiden could count on, and someone he could look up to.

And even if it had only been three months, she thought she was doing pretty good so far.

* * *

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Hermione finished feeding Aiden, immediately followed by a burp that would have made their father proud. Once he had done that, she walked back and forth across the room until he was asleep, when she carefully carried Aiden across the room, strapping him into his cushy little bouncer, buckling him in before starting the relaxing music, hoping he'd sleep for a bit. She had a few papers to go over, and wanted to get some of it done while Aiden was sleeping.

Hermione had gotten so involved in her reading that she didn't notice almost an hour had passed until the doorbell rang. Grimacing as she glanced at Aiden, she was relieved to see that the ringing hadn't woken him. Raising her arms above her head, she stood from the sofa and walked quickly to the door, hoping whoever was outside wouldn't ring the bell again.

Opening the door, Hermione was surprised to see two uniformed officers standing there.

"Uh...can I help you, Officers?" she asked.

The older of the two smiled grimly at her. "Are you...Her-my-knee Granger?" he asked, checking his pad.

"Well, it's pronounced Her-my-o-knee, and yes." she answered.

"Ah, like the Shakespeare character?" he asked, making a note.

"Yes." she nodded.

The younger officer - who didn't look much older than herself, she thought, - looked at the paper in his hand. "And, are your parents Drs. Helena and Matthew Granger, DDS?"

"Yes." she said warily, narrowing her eyes. "What's this about?"

"Oh...well...perhaps we might go inside to talk?" the first officer asked, nodding toward the inside of the house.

"Sure. Please, come in." Hermione said, standing aside to let them pass, her heart beginning to beat wildly, and her stomach falling.

Whatever the two officers wanted, it wasn't going to be good.

* * *

 _Wednesday evening - 6PM - Ginny and Dean's flat - London_

"Oh, yes, Dean!" Ginny yelled into the bed, her husband slamming into her from behind. "Harder!" she moaned, feeling her climax getting closer.

Dean grunted as his hips sped up and he pounded his cock even harder into his wife, making her yelp.

"Dontstopdontstopdontstop." Ginny moaned. "DEAN!" she screamed as her climax hit her.

"Fuck!" Dean growled as her walls constricted around him, triggering his own orgasm. Collapsing on a still shuddering Ginny as he tried to regain his breath, he pressed a kiss to the back of her sweat soaked neck. "Gods, I love you, Ginny."

Ginny huffed out a laugh, her body still trembling with the force of her orgasm. "I love you, too, Dean." she smiled. "Do...do you think...you can get...off me, now?" she panted.

It was Dean's turn to laugh, his now flaccid length sliding out of his wife, making her hiss. "How was that for a welcome home?" he asked, lying next to her, wrapping his arm around her as she curled into his side.

"Oh, it was great, love." she smiled. "I might have to go away more if that's how you welcome me back." she teased.

"Not a chance." he said. "How was the..." he started, the ringing of his telephone interrupting him. "Damn." he sighed. "I'll get that, and then you can tell me how the game went." he said, reluctantly sliding out of bed.

"Don't worry, I'll be here." she said, watching his naked form walking into their living room. "I don't think I could move if I wanted." she added to herself.

Grumbling as he walked, Dean reached for the telephone that sat on a table in the corner. "Hello?" he answered brusquely.

"De...I...sor...I...Gin..." he heard from the other end.

"Hermione?" he asked, frowning. "What's wrong?" he asked, hoping she'd be able to speak through the sobs coming from her end of the line.

"I...dead...please...Gin..." she cried, her words not coming out clearly.

"Alright, Hermione. Give us five minutes, and we'll be there." he said. "You're still at your parents, right?" he asked.

"Yes...I..." she broke off.

"Alright. Just hang on, Hermione." he said, hanging up once he heard her hang up. Walking back to the bedroom quickly, he went to the dresser and got some fresh clothes. "Get dressed, babe." he said hurriedly.

Ginny sat up, holding the sheet around her. "Why? What's going on?" she asked, confused.

"That was Hermione on the phone." he said, pulling on a pair of black pants. "She didn't sound good, Gin."

Summoning a pair of jeans and a light jumper from the wardrobe, Ginny threw them on, not bothering with knickers. If her best friend was in trouble, or pain, she needed to be there, underpants be damned. Running her fingers through her hair, she grabbed her wand.

"Alright, let's go." she said.

"Right." Dean nodded, grabbing her hand.

As the two appeared in the Granger's backyard, they broke into a run, not bothering with knocking as they entered through the backdoor.

"Mione?" Ginny called, walking further into the house. "Mione?" she called.

A sob from the living room got her attention, and as she entered, her heart immediately broke.

"Oh, Mione." she gasped.

There, sitting on the floor, tears running down her face, her eyes red and swollen from crying, her body shuddering as she took each breath, as she clutched a small plastic baggie to her chest like a lifeline, was Hermione.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **I know it starts out a bit sad, but it gets happier, I promise.**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Harry Potter is still not mine. And it's still cold here in Missouri. :(**

 **I owe each and every one of you a big fat Thank you! I think this might be the only story of mine to get so much attention in a short time. For following, for reviewing, or for adding to your favorites - Thank you!**

 **I did mention that this was going to start off sad. But, like I told several of you - this is going to be a fluffy, happy story. I have things all planned, I promise. Just please don't shoot me in the meantime. LOL!**

 **So, I promised Ch2 fairly quickly, and here it is. The wait wasn't too long, was it?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Warning for this chapter: Mentions of domestic/child abuse**

* * *

 _Thursday evening - 6 PM - Hogwarts - Severus Snape's office_

Sighing, Severus reached for yet another essay, immediately knowing it, too, would be a disappointment like all the others he'd read so far. Reading the first line, he was right.

'Belladonna is most commonly used in afrodeesiak potions like amortensha, since its known as the plant of love. I'm from Italy and we call everyone bella, so I should know.'

"Idiot." he mumbled, scribbling a T at the top of the paper in bold red ink. It seemed that even after five years in his class, Alfonso had learned next to nothing. After all, with the belladonna plant being extremely poisonous, he covered that in his ingredient review every year.

Setting the awful paper in the corrected pile, he once again reached for another essay, expecting nothing better from Alfonso's twin, Carlotta.

'The nightshade plant, or Nightus Shadeus, as it's commonly known, is called such because it grows only at night and gives shade to the littler plants during the day.'

"Not even close." he sneered, marking another bright red T in the corner. "I get the feeling your father's going to demand a refund on your tuition after you and your brother flunk out, you daft dunderhead." he growled, slamming the paper on top of the corrected pile.

Disgusted and not wanting to read anymore drivel, he threw his quill down and walked over to stand in front of his window, staring out at the murky green hue of the Black Lake. Though many of his charges in Slytherin tended to find the views under the lake nauseating, it was one of the few things that brought him comfort.

 _'Is this what I came back for? Teaching a bunch of dunderheads something they don't want to learn? Escorting them to and from Hogsmeade like a sheep hoarder? Making sure that in between lessons nobody gets pregnant? Spending my nights making sure they're where they're supposed to be instead of spending it with a good book in front of a roaring fire?'_

With a sigh, Severus turned away from his window and walked into his quarters. Tossing his cloak over the back of the sofa, he stomped over to his liquor cabinet, pouring himself a snifter of brandy, and downing it like a shot. Reaching for the bottle, he refilled his glass before kicking his signature dragon-hide boots off, settling himself comfortably in his leather chaise lounge. Taking a slow sip this time, he leaned his head back against the headrest, his mind drifting as his eyes closed.

He knew when Lucius informed him the Dark Lord was wanting to speak with him that his time was almost up. Too long he had walked the fine line between life and death, and death was tired of waiting to collect him. As he lay, bleeding and dying, not to mention alone, on that dusty floor, he couldn't help but think of Lily. How he had failed, once again, in his service to her. Her son wouldn't know the things he needed to know before that final showdown, and would likely die.

Once the aptly-named Golden Trio had left, his memories with them, Severus gladly accepted death. He was in pain, and he had no strength or will left to continue on. As he felt his life fading, he couldn't recall being happier in recent memory.

 _He found himself in a void, a white mist everywhere except for the darkness of his cloak. Expecting to find himself instead surrounded by fire, he nearly wept with joy upon seeing that face topped with the familiar shade of red he adored so much running toward him. If he was being greeted by Lily, this had to be heaven._

 _'Severus!' Lily had exclaimed, jumping in his arms like she had so many times when they were younger._

 _'Lily.' he sighed, smiling as the scent of jasmine, her favorite lotion, invaded his senses._

 _'Oh, it's so good to see you, Sev.' she smiled, pulling away from him. 'I've missed you, you thickhead.' she said fondly._

 _'And I've missed you, Lils.' he said absently, taking in the sight of her. She was still as lovely as she'd always been, with her flaming red hair and porcelain skin. Her green eyes shining with unshed tears, and her perfect white teeth on display as she smiled. 'I'm sorry, Lily. So very sorry.' he breathed out._

 _Lily shushed him, placing one hand over his mouth._

 _'I know you are, but don't be. I've had some...let's say enlightening...conversations with Albus over the past year, as well as some time to think about things, and I have a few things to say.' she said. 'First off,_ I'm _the one who should be apologizing to_ you _, Sev. I know you didn't mean to call me a 'Mudblood', and I should have given you the chance to explain. I should have listened to what you had to say. We'd been best friends for so long, and I just...I just threw that away over one mistake.'_

 _'Lily...'_

 _'Let me finish, please.' she sighed. 'And, I want you to know that nothing that happened to me was your fault, Severus. No matter what you had done, or were going to do, I was destined to die that night. That was my fate, Severus. I accepted that a long time ago, and so should you. I'm just thankful my Harry survived.' she said, her lower lip trembling as she gave him a watery smile._

 _'I tried, you must know that.' he pleaded, grabbing her hands in his. 'I begged for him to spare you, and he promised he would, but it was just a lie. I tried to get Dumbledore to protect you, but it was too late at that point.'_

 _'I know you did, Sev.' she said softly. 'Just like I know you've done brilliantly at protecting my son.' she smiled._

 _'Oh, Lily, could we talk about that later? For right now, can we just...' he said, stopping when he noticed her head was turned to the left, and she gave somebody a nod before turning back to him._

 _'You have to go back, Severus.' she said, giving him a sad smile. 'You don't belong here yet.'_

 _'What?' he asked, confused. 'But...no!' he shouted, turning to look where she had before looking back at her. 'No, I want to stay here with you, Lily.'_

 _'I know, but it's not time. You still have so much to do with your life, Severus.'_

 _'No!' he shouted again, shaking his head as panic settled over him. 'There's nothing left for me down there, Lily.'_

 _Giving him a sad smile, Lily lifted her hand to cup his cheek. 'Yes, there is. You just have to open your eyes,' she said before moving her hand down to his chest, 'and open your heart.'_

 _'But...Lily, I...'_

 _'Make the most of your second chance, Sev. You've spent twenty years living for me, but promise me you'll start living for_ you _. Do what makes you happy, and find yourself a nice witch to settle down with.' she said. Letting out a bark of laughter, she smiled. 'I'm looking forward to seeing you with your own children, you know.'_

 _'There will never be anyone but you, Lily.' he said, shaking his head. 'I will always love you.'_

 _'I know, and I'll always love you, too. But you need...you deserve...to find someone who can love you in ways I can't, and never could.' she said, squeezing him tightly in a hug._

 _Severus wrapped his arms around her, determined not to let go. If he didn't let go, they couldn't force him to leave._

 _'It's time, Sev.' she said, moving out of his arms._

 _Feeling himself being pulled away from her, he reached out for her once more. 'No! Lily!' he cried, tears running down his cheeks._

 _'Goodbye, Severus. Be happy.' she asked, waving as he drifted away from her._

Even though he can't prove it really happened, and he wasn't just hallucinating, talking to Lily once again in the afterlife was one of his most cherished memories. It was a very freeing experience, as well. Being able to apologize, Severus was finally able to put his past infatuation with Lily behind him. She was no longer his everything, instead she was now simply Lily, his childhood best friend who made his miserable existence a little brighter.

The only thing he still carried with him now was the feeling of withering away at Hogwarts. A feeling he'd had since he started teaching there.

* * *

 _Friday- 6 AM- Hogwarts - Severus Snape's private quarters_

After his trip down memory lane, Severus had resolved to improve his life. If he was being given a second chance at life, it was time he started making the most of it. Still wearing his pajamas, Severus sat at his desk in his private quarters and did something he'd always fantasized about - writing his resignation. It was time for him to leave Hogwarts. What was the point in getting a second chance at life if you spent it teaching snot nosed brats who didn't really want to learn what you were trying to teach them?

The answer - there wasn't one.

Signing the bottom of his resignation with a flourish, he sat back and looked it over, an uncharacteristic smile forming on his face at the feeling of accomplishment. He had only decided just a few hours ago to resign his post and strike out somewhere else on his own, and he was already ahead of his own schedule. Dragging his newly created list toward him, he scratched off ' _Resign from Hogwarts'_ , his eyes roving down the list of things to do.

The next thing on his list was to find a new home. Unfortunately, he still owned the hovel that was Spinner's End, but that was no place for a fresh start to begin. The house was long past being in a livable condition, having been derelict for decades. Being barely held together by magic, it should have been demolished long ago. It didn't really matter, though, most of the time what condition it was in, as Severus spent most of his time at Hogwarts and had no need for the house.

But now, it was time to offload the old place. And why not? It's not as if Severus held many happy memories of Spinner's End. His father, Tobias, had been a pleasant man until the factory went out of business, then he became the brute he was remembered as. He was never what would be called overly warm toward his family, but once he was out of work, he spent most of his time getting pissed at the pub, or beating his family. Neither Severus nor Eileen were immune to his brutality, no matter how quiet, or obedient, they were. Tobias found reasons to beat them, Severus mainly just for existing, and Eileen for breathing.

It was beyond time to sell it.

 _'Well, looks like I'm off to Manchester.'_ he thought. _'_ _But first, a trip to Minerva's office.'_

* * *

 _Following Thursday - Diagon Alley Estate Agency_

Jacob Harper watched with wide eyes as Severus Snape - _the Severus Snape_ \- wrote out a Gringott's draft for the full amount of the newly on the market building just a few doors down. He had handled a lot of sales over his thirty year plus career, but never... _absolutely never_...had anyone paid in full after just one showing. Most of the time, clients had viewed a property multiple times, and even if they ended up purchasing it, they never paid all at once.

"Mr. Snape, are you sure..." he started, a glance from Severus silencing him.

"Quite sure, Mr. Harper." he said, signing his name before tapping the draft with his ebony wand to encode it with his magical signature as well. "It fits with what I require, and I see no need to wait." he said, handing the draft to Mr. Harper.

"W...well...al...alright, then." Mr. Harper nodded. Reaching into his robe pocket, he extracted the key to the building, and handed it to Severus. "There you are, Mr. Snape. I wish you prosperity in your new business venture." he said.

"Thank you, Mr. Harper." Severus said, pocketing the key. With a firm shake of the hand, Severus turned and left the office, his impressive cloak billowing around him.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **I know it seemed like Severus acted a bit hastily in his decision, but I think once he knows what he wants, he's the kind of guy who goes after it.**

 **Oh - the spelling errors in the first few sentences - the student essay, that is, - is intentional.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I still own nothing recognizable.**

 **Thank you once again for the reviews, for following, or for adding to your favorites. I'm just thrilled that so many of you are enjoying this new version.**

 **I wanted to update yesterday, but I've had a monster headache for the last two days, and it was hard to concentrate. So, I did my best to have this done today, and here we are!**

 **Alright, I've got nothing else, so...Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Wednesday - 9 PM- Granger residence - London_

"How is she?" Dean asked, sitting down on the edge of the coffee table in front of his wife and Hermione on the sofa. Ginny was sitting at one end, smoothing Hermione's hair back from her face as her head rested on Ginny's leg.

"She cried herself to sleep about twenty minutes ago." she said softly, not stopping in her ministrations. "Did you get Aiden down alright?" she asked, feeling slightly guilty that Dean had to put the baby to bed alone.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, the little guy's sound asleep." he answered. "You got her to let go of the rings, I see." he said, picking up the baggie that Hermione had been clinging to when they got there earlier. The officers who had informed Hermione of her parents' demise had brought her their wedding rings, not wanting them to get lost.

"Well, once she fell asleep, her grip on them loosened, so..." she said, shrugging. "Gods, Dean, how do I help her? I mean, my best friend has just gotten the worst news possible, and I don't have any idea how to make her feel better." she said in a thick voice.

Dean let out a breath of air, his gaze alternating between his wife and his friend. "I don't think there's any one way, Gin. Just...be there for her. I mean, the next few days especially are going to be hell for her. Just sit with her, hold her hand, hug her while she cries, and listen. Be there for her anyway she needs, love."

"I've been trying, Dean. She hasn't said anything since we got here, though." she said.

"Give her time, Gin. She just...needs some time." Dean said, patting her on the other leg.

"No, I know. It's just...I don't like seeing her like this." Ginny sighed, looking back down at Hermione. "Do you think you could carry her up to her bed without waking her? I think she'd be more comfortable up there."

"Yeah." he nodded. "Or, I can try." he said, standing. Gently placing one hand behind Hermione's neck, and the other under her knees, he picked her up bridal style. Cradling her to his chest, he began walking slowly toward the stairs, determined not to wake her.

"It's the last one on the left." Ginny whispered from behind him.

Entering the room with the light purple walls, Dean stopped and waited as Ginny stepped around him, pulling the blankets on the large bed back. Leaning down, Dean gently laid Hermione in bed before pulling the blankets back over her.

"Thanks, Dean." Ginny said, wrapping her arms around him.

"Well, like you said, she'd probably be more comfortable here than down in the living room." he said softly, kissing her head.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Did you get in touch with the boys?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah, but they can't get here until maybe tomorrow afternoon at the earliest." he answered.

"What?" Ginny hissed, instantly angry. Hermione was going through the worst kind of emotional pain, and her best friends couldn't come to her?

"Calm down, calm down." Dean whispered urgently. "It's not their fault, sweetheart. There's some kind of problem with portkeying out of Austria. From what Harry told me, the portkey's keep landing people in the wrong places, so until the Ministry figures out why, they aren't issuing them. The best guess they got when they asked was they'd have it figured out either tomorrow or Saturday." he explained.

Ginny's shoulders sagged as the anger left her. "Oh." she said. "Well, listen. I'm gonna stay here tonight, you know - in case she needs anything, but why don't you head on home?" she suggested.

Dean shook his head. "Nah, but I think will head to the Burrow. Fill your mum and dad in on what's going on, then try to keep Molly from storming over here." he said with a little laugh.

"Alright." Ginny nodded. "Tell her to come over tomorrow. Uh...you'll have to bring her, though. Mum's never been here." she said. "Oh, and make sure she doesn't spend all night cooking food to bring over. If she has to...which she will, because she's Mum...tell her to only bring two or three dishes, not a whole feast." she said, knowing her mother would bring a feast anyway.

Dean nodded, kissing her once again. "Alright. Love you." he said.

"I love you, too." she smiled.

Once Dean was gone, Ginny toed off her shoes and slipped into the bed beside Hermione, who let out a whimper as the bed jarred. "Shhh." Ginny whispered, taking her hand. "It's alright, Mione." she said, rubbing her thumb along Hermione's. Even though it was fairly early for her to be going to bed, it had been a long day, what with the trip home, the excellent shagging session, and the emotional turmoil she felt in sympathy with Hermione, so it wasn't long until she, too, was deep in sleep.

* * *

 _Thursday - 3 AM - Granger residence_

At the urging of her bladder, Hermione was reluctantly awake. Taking a moment to let her eyes get used to the dark, she flinched when she felt a hand touch hers. Turning her head to the right, she could just make out the figure of a woman lying beside her. For a heart-stopping moment, she thought it was her mother until the person let out a familiar sounding snore. A snore she had spent four summers listening to.

Ginny.

Smiling sadly at the sleeping form of her best friend, she gave Ginny's hand a little squeeze before easing herself out of the bed. Just because she was awake didn't mean Ginny had to be. As she stepped into the hallway, she pulled the door shut a bit before crossing over to the loo.

Shutting the door, Hermione flipped on the light, blinking against the sudden brightness before moving to do her business. After relieving herself, she moved over to wash her hands, gazing at herself in the mirror as she did. With a grimace, she noted the redness that was present in her eyes, a side effect from her crying jag the previous night. She also noted that despite having slept for six hours, she still had bags under her eyes, making her look tired, and pale.

 _'Well, what were you expecting, Hermione?'_ she thought. _'You're in mourning. You're not supposed to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.'_ she thought with a frown, drying her hands. Shutting the light off, she quietly crept down the hall to the nursery, feeling the need to check on Aiden.

 _'Don't be silly, of course he's still there.'_ she thought, chastising herself. _'After all, it wasn't everybody. Just Mum...and Dad.'_ she thought, the tears beginning anew. Putting her hand over her mouth, she closed her eyes, leaning against the hallway wall. She was determined not to fall apart at every thought or mention of her parents. After all, she knew the next coming days weren't going to be easy, but if she was perpetually in tears, they'd be near impossible.

Stepping into the nursery, she padded over to the crib, leaning over the edge. As Aiden's little body came into view, Hermione's eyes closed as she let out a small sigh of relief, glad that her addled mind could stop thinking he was gone, too. At the sound of a coo, she opened her eyes to see Aiden looking back at her.

"Hey, my little Aidy." she said softly, picking him up. "Remind me to thank either Auntie Gin or Uncle Dean for putting you to bed." she said, kissing his head, letting her lips linger. Feeling her chin beginning to wobble, and her eyes welling up, she pulled back, putting on a false cheerful voice for him. "Well, it's...oh, it's nearly three thirty, so I imagine you're hungry, yeah?" she asked, laughing a bit as he gurgled.

"I'll take that to mean yes, so let's go get you a bottle." she said, carrying him down the stairs to the kitchen. Having had a bit of practice at this, fixing a bottle with one hand proved a breeze for her. In no time at all, she was holding a baby securely in one arm while holding his bottle in the other. "How about we go to the patio, big man?." she suggested, smiling as he began reaching for his bottle.

Opening the sliding side door, she stepped onto the glass encased patio, hitting the switch to turn the lights onto dim as she entered. _'Note to self - turn the bloody heat up in here. It's apparently going to get cold early.'_ she thought, hissing as her bare feet hit the cold tile floor, crossing over to the hanging black wicker sphere chair with the orange seat decorated with the cream colored throw pillows with black embellishments. It had been a favorite reading spot of her mother's, especially during the spring months when she could sit and listen to the rain hitting the glass.

Seating herself inside the sphere, she settled Aiden in the crook of her arm before lifting the bottle to his lips.

"There we go." she whispered, staring down at him. "I'm sorry you're not going to get to know Mum and Dad. They were great parents, and I know they loved us both a lot." she said, tearing up. "I promise, though, I'll tell you anything you want to know about them someday. Including how excited they were when you were born." she said, sliding her arm more behind his head so her hand could hold the bottle, freeing up her right hand to reach up and wipe the tears away before they fell.

"God, this is so unfair." she said, shaking her head. "You're not going to know two of the greatest people I knew, and they're going to miss your entire life." she sobbed, wiping away more tears. "I actually envy you, Aiden. You're never going to have to know how bad this hurts, - burying your parents. It's a cruel joke that nature plays. You get these great people raising you, shaping you according to their beliefs, and their values, and then one day, they're just gone. And you have to learn how to live without them. Trust me, it's a horrible joke when you're younger, but when you're older like me, and you get used to having them there, it's just twisted." she said, knowing he didn't understand her, but needing to fill the silence.

"But, I promise...I swear on my magic...I'll _always_ be here for you." she said, feeling the oath take effect. "You're never going to have to worry about that. I may be a poor substitute for Mum, but I'll always try to do my best to raise you how they would've wanted." she promised, her bottom lip trembling as she fought off tears. "But, you know what, it's just been me and you for a little while so far, and I think we're doing okay. And if it's not, it'll get better." she said, pulling the now empty bottle away from him, moving him to her shoulder as she patted him on the back.

"The next few months might be confusing, and a major change - for both of us, - but we'll get through it." she said, smiling when he let out a burp. "We'll be alright." she added with a nod, laying him back in the crook of her arm as she gently started the chair swaying.

"We have to be." she whispered, hearing his breathing even out as he drifted back to sleep a moment later.

* * *

 _Thursday - 10 AM - Granger residence_

Hermione rolled her eyes as the doorbell rang again. "Ugh." she groaned. "Gin, could you get that, please? I don't feel like talking to another neighbor right now, or someone who dropped by to give their condolences." she said.

After Aiden had gone to sleep, Hermione had stayed on the patio with him for a half hour before carrying him back to his crib. Being so exhausted, and emotionally drained, she had crawled back into bed for a few hours, once again waking at seven. At eight, the first neighbor had stopped by, wanting to let her know how sorry they were for her loss. Since then, five other people had came over, and as much as Hermione appreciated it, she didn't have the energy to deal with another grieving neighbor or someone who knew her parents.

"Sure thing, Mione." Ginny said, setting her tea on the coffee table and heading for the door.

"Thank you." Hermione sighed, leaning her head back on the sofa.

"Uh...Mione? I think you need to see this." Ginny called over her shoulder.

Rolling her eyes again, Hermione stood and joined Ginny at the door, her eyes widening at what she saw.

"You a Miss Granger?" the man standing in front of her asked, looking at his clipboard.

"Wha...Um, yes." Hermione answered, turning her attention to the man.

"Well, then...these are for you." he said, hand waving at the delivery. "Where should we put them?" he asked.

"Oh...well..." Hermione stammered, trying to think. "Just...just bring them into the living room." she said, stepping outside and pointing inside.

"Alright." he nodded. "Just carry them inside boys!" he yelled to the other men who were standing beside the additional five flower delivery vans crowded in her driveway.

"Bloody hell, Mione." Ginny whispered as she stood beside Hermione outside the door, watching as the six delivery men carried plant after plant, and flower after flower, inside the house, for ten minutes.

"Thank you." Hermione called to the delivery men as they got ready to leave, still in shock. Following Ginny inside, she began looking for cards, eager to know who sent all this.

"Wow!" Ginny gasped, taking in the sight. Almost every free space in the living room, and parts of the hallway to the kitchen, were covered by the various plants and flowers. "Who are all these from?" she asked.

'Our deepest condolences. - The Monroe Dental Clinic.' 'Mrs. Violet Parsons.' 'Dr. Anita Clark, DDS.' 'The Pearson Bakery.' 'Mr. Ken Jenkins.' 'Constable Michael Taylor.'

With every name she read, Hermione got more and more teary-eyed. A few of the names she knew, a few she didn't, but they were all filled with very touching messages of condolences. At the last name, however, she couldn't stop the sob that came out of her mouth, or the tears that escaped her eyes.

"Hermione? What is it?" Ginny asked, reading the card Hermione handed her. "Who's Michael Taylor?"

"He was one of...the officers who...who told me..." she cried, remembering the older, grey haired man from yesterday.

"Oh, Mione." Ginny said, hugging her friend as she broke down in tears.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **I know there are going to be a couple of readers who think that a few parts of this were weird, but let me explain.**

 **-Hermione needed to check on Aiden to reassure herself he was still there. I did that. After my dad died, I would go and check to make sure my mom was still breathing every night for about a month.**

 **-I had an uncle who died in a car accident, and one of the policemen who had come to tell my aunt was one of the first one to send flowers. I thought that was incredibly kind of the man, so I put it in the story.**

 **XOXO - Onyx**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I own nothing. Still.**

 **Thanks so much for the reviews, for adding to your favorites, or for following. I've been writing my stories on here for a while now, and it still tickles me when I see a FF notice in my e-mail about a review, or someone adding either my stories or me to their follow/favorite list. Big love to all of you.**

 **So, I had this all edited and ready to go yesterday, but I had a few things come up I had to deal with. But, it's here now, and good news - it's longer than usual. This was going to be a Severus chapter, but two things - A) I wanted to get past Hermione's tragedy, and B) A Severus chapter would have thrown my timeline off. Don't worry, though. There will be a Severus chapter soon.**

 **Thanks to LittlebigmouthOKC for inspiring a couple things, and the beginning of the 4th part of this chapter. :)**

 **Alrighty. On we go. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Thursday - 8 PM - Granger residence_

Hermione, despite all she'd been through since finding out she was a witch, still felt in absolute awe of magic sometimes. How it made simple, everyday tasks all the more simple, and made chores that would take a lot of time, as well as heavy-lifting, easy as pie. Like moving all the plants from the living room to the patio. Even the heaviest plant was moved with just a flick of her wrist.

Standing in the enclosed patio, she couldn't help but sigh. As much as they were appreciated, she knew she couldn't keep all the plants. And as cold as it might seem to others, once the funerals were over, she had planned to move Aiden into the spare room in her flat, and eventually rent the house out. She loved this house, and the memories that came with it, but living here would be like living with the ghosts of her parents, and that was something she couldn't handle. So, upon moving, most of these would have to go. Her flat was spacious, true, but not enough for _all_ the plants.

 _'Hmmm. Maybe Neville will want some of them.'_ she thought.

"Hermione?"

"Out here, Gin." she called, not turning around.

"Oh, you got the plants moved, I see." Ginny said, stepping onto the patio.

"Yeah. It only took a few minutes."

"Uh...Neville owled. He'll be over tomorrow to look at all these." Ginny said, gesturing toward the jungle filling up the patio. "Are you...do you...do you feel like eating, Mione?" she asked.

Hermione nodded, turning. "There's a menu on the fridge if you want to order a pizza."

Ginny smiled, feeling a bit giddy. It was no secret that since she married Dean, pizza had become her favorite food. To her, it was the perfect food. It came in a variety of sizes, with unlimited options for toppings. Her favorite was a pepperoni with extra cheese, but Hermione had introduced her to a number of other types, and all were favorites of hers. For instance, the last time, Hermione introduced her to something called a 'Hawaiian-Style' pizza that had a thin crust, ham, and to her surprise - _pineapple_ \- and just the right amount of cheese, and was delicious.

"Alright. You want your usual?" she asked, referring to the calzone Hermione always ordered.

"Please." Hermione nodded again, giving her friend a small smile. "And see if they'll send an extra thing of dressing, too."

"And a bottle of Coke?"

"Diet."

"Okay. I'll shout when it gets here if you're still out here." Ginny said, going back inside.

"Thanks, Gin." Hermione said.

* * *

 _Friday - 1 PM - Granger residence_

"And I believe 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus' will be one of the selections, correct?" Joanna Baylor, director of the Baylor Funeral Home, asked as she sat across from Hermione in the kitchen, going over funeral details.

"Yes, it will. It was one of my Mum's favorites." Hermione nodded somberly. They had been at this for over an hour, and was beginning to feel all the emotional strength starting to leave her. "Um...will I be able to have a moment after to say my goodbyes before...you know." she asked.

"Oh, before we proceed to the cemetery, you mean?" Joanna asked. At Hermione's nod, she continued, "Of course, Miss Granger. We wouldn't dream of taking them away before you're ready."

"Thank you." Hermione said, biting her bottom lip to keep it from trembling as she held back tears. "Uh...about that. The gentleman I spoke to yesterday said he would send over some choices for the headstone I can choose."

"Oh! Yes, Mr. Jacks did, indeed, send a brochure for you." Joanna said, shuffling through her papers. "Ah. Here we go." she said, handing over a small brochure to Hermione. "Just have a look through..."

The kitchen door opened, and Ginny stepped in, Aiden in her arms. "Sorry to interrupt, Mione, but Aiden's getting a bit restless." she said, tightening her grip on the squirming baby.

"It's fine, Gin." Hermione said, giving a sad smile. Holding her arms out, she said, "Hand him here."

"Is this your son?" Joanna asked, smiling at the adorable little boy in Miss Granger's arms.

"No." Hermione answered, shaking her head. "My brother."

"Oh, I am sorry." Joanna said, contritely. "I...I had no idea that your parents..."

"It's fine, Mrs. Baylor." Hermione said. "And this is my best friend, Ginny."

"Hello." Ginny nodded with a polite smile at the black-haired lady as she stood to the left of Hermione.

"You want to have a look, Aidy?" Hermione asked the three-month-old as she sat him in her lap, holding the brochure up a bit. "Which one should we get for Mummy and Daddy?"

"What's a companion urn?" Ginny asked with a frown, flipping through one of the other brochures containing urns.

"Oh...uh...it's a double urn that will hold both sets of ashes of a couple." Joanna answered.

"Ashes?" Ginny asked, once again confused.

"If I were to be having them cremated, Gin." Hermione said softly, not looking up from the brochure.

"Cremated? But, I thought you were having a funeral for them?"

"I am," Hermione nodded. "But some choose to be cremated instead."

"I see." Ginny said, a bit queasy suddenly. She couldn't imagine having herself or her family cremated. Very few wizards were ever cremated in the wizarding world, and the thought of having it done made her a little sick.

"We'll talk later, Gin." Hermione said, knowing the green look on her face had something to do with muggles customs versus wizarding customs. Looking back at Aiden, she smiled as he tapped repeatedly on one headstone in the brochure. "You think we should get that one?" she asked, nodding as he babbled, still tapping the photo. "I see. Well, it's your choice, big man." she said.

Looking at the photo in the brochure, Hermione thought it was just perfect. Made from black granite, it was just a simple, but beautiful, headstone that would sit on an oblong block, shining in the sun. A small etching of ivy in one corner, and her parents' names in the middle, it really was...perfect.

"Yes, we'll go with this one." she said, handing the brochure back to Joanna as she pressed a kiss to Aiden's head.

Joanna smiled as she looked at the headstone. "I think that's a lovely choice, Miss Granger." she said softly.

* * *

 _Friday - 3 PM - Barb's Baby Boutique_

"This is cute." Ginny said, holding up a sailor's outfit.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she eyed it. "It is, Gin, but I need something for Aiden to wear tomorrow, not for a day on the river." she said.

Ginny shrugged, hanging it back on the rack. "It's still cute." she said.

"How about this?" Hermione asked, getting her attention. "I mean, it works, right?" she asked.

"I think that's a possibility." she nodded, eyeing the long-sleeved white onesie that had a black vest attached to it, and came with a pair of black pants. "It'd be great if you needed to change his diaper during." she said.

Hermione nodded, hanging it on one handle of the stroller. "Well, we'll keep looking anyway." she said. "Plus, I need to get some more bottles for him since he's only got about three." she said.

"I think I saw some toward that wall over there." Ginny said, pointing to the far right wall. "I'll meet you over there."

"Okay." Hermione said, pushing Aiden's stroller toward the bottles. Halfway there, she spotted a section of onesies that she couldn't resist going to have a look at. She laughed a little seeing one about Ghostbusters that said 'I ain't afraid of no ghost'. Adding that to the onesie she chose for him to wear to the funeral, she grabbed another one she thought was adorable. This one was white, and featured a Borg from Star Trek that said 'Resistance is Futile'. Seeing another, a Star Wars one this time, she tossed that in. It was black and said 'The force is strong with this one', which made her chuckle.

"Oh, goodness." she said to herself, seeing that she now had about ten onesies on the stroller. "Bottles, Hermione, bottles." she mumbled, pushing the stroller toward the bottles. Standing in front of the wide selection of baby bottles, she sighed. This was her future now. Onesies, and baby bottles, and strollers, car seats, diapers, diaper bags, cribs, sleepers, rompers, toys, and everything else that went along with having a baby.

It was a bit of a shock to the system.

"Can I help you?" a kind voice asked from beside her.

"I need bottles, but..." Hermione said, trailing off.

"You're feeling overwhelmed, eh?" the woman asked with a nod. "Don't worry. I can easily help you."

"That would be great, thanks." Hermione smiled.

"Now, if you don't have a personal preference," the woman, whose nametag read 'Heidi' said, "I recommend these." she said, grabbing a pack of four bottles off the shelf. "If your baby suffers from colic, these supposedly help reduce that."

"Oh, well..." Hermione stammered, "I don't recall him ever having colic, actually."

"Is this not your son?" Heidi asked, tilting her head.

"No, he's not. This is my brother." Hermione said. Seeing Heidi's disbelieving look, she explained a bit about her new situation.

"I'm so sorry, Miss." Heidi said, sighing.

"It's alright." Hermione shrugged. "Anyway, you were saying about those bottles?"

"Oh! Right. Right." Heidi said, shaking her head. "Like I said, these are best to help reduce colic. Now, while I don't personally know if that's true, I've heard nothing but positive things about these. A lot of women swear they help."

"Well then, I'll take them." Hermione smiled.

"Great." Heidi smiled back, handing them to Hermione. "Now, is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Well..."

* * *

 _Saturday - 8 AM - Granger residence_

The morning before the funeral, Hermione kept herself busy. She couldn't let herself break down before she had even gotten to the church or she'd never make it through the funeral. So, to occupy herself until it was time to get ready, she arranged the plants she had left on the patio until it looked like less of a mess, and more like she was the owner of a small jungle. Thankfully, though, there weren't all that many left. Neville had been by last night, carefully examining each one to ensure none were poisonous or would be a danger to Aiden, and she had insisted he take some of them with him back to Hogwarts.

Rolling her eyes, she walked over to the door and kicked off her shoes before quickly walking to the front door, hoping that she answered the door before the sound of the ringing doorbell woke either Aiden or Ginny and Dean, who once again stayed the night with her. Opening the door, she was immediately engulfed in a bear hug between Harry and Ron.

"Gods, Mione, we're so sorry we haven't been here." Harry said in her left ear.

"Yeah. It was a bloody nightmare getting out of Austria." Ron agreed in her right. "Trust us, we wanted to be here Wednesday, but..."

"Dean explained it to me." Hermione cut in, not needing their apologies. "I understand, and I'm just glad you two are here now." she said, ending on a sob.

"We ran into Kingsley when we landed, and he mentioned the funeral was this afternoon." Harry said, pulling away but keeping his arm wrapped around her. "Is there anything you need from us? Anything we can do for you, or..."

"Just this." she said, pulling him back to her. "I just need this." she whispered, closing her eyes as she was enveloped in the warmth of her two best friends once again. However, after a few more moments, she realized they were still in the doorway, so she slowly pulled away. "Come on in, you two." she said.

The two followed Hermione to the kitchen, taking seats and waiting for her to join them once she had insisted on making a pot of tea. Once she did, the boys, at her request, told her about their time in Austria. It was during their second pot of tea that the conversation turned back to Hermione's parents.

"So, what happens now?" Ron asked, frowning.

"Their funeral." Hermione said bluntly. "Beyond that? Who knows?" she shrugged.

"Are you gonna sell your flat and live here?" Harry asked curiously.

Hermione shook her head. "No. I can't live here. I'm going to take Aiden to my flat."

"Oh, you're gonna have to give up your office, huh?" Ron asked, finishing off his tea. "That's a bummer."

"Ron, I'm not giving up anything except a rarely used guest room." she answered. "My flat, if you'll recall, has three bedrooms. So, I'm just going to make the guest room my office, and move Aiden into the office. I'd prefer it if he were closer than across the flat."

"Sounds like a plan, Hermione." Harry said, nodding.

"Well, whaddaya gonna do with this place then?" Ron asked, looking around the kitchen.

"Rent it out, maybe." she shrugged again. "If I ever do sell it, it won't be until later when Aiden's old enough to have a say. I mean, it's part his, too, so..." she trailed off.

* * *

 _Saturday - 1 PM - St. Mary's Church_

Hermione sat on the front pew, holding a sleeping Aiden in her arms, and staring at the two caskets topped with wreaths that contained her parents, Matthew and Helena Granger. She didn't hear what the vicar said, nor what several friends and colleagues of her parents said. She barely heard the hymns her parents had selected to be sung. All she could do was stare at the wooden boxes that would forever hold her parents.

"Mione?" Harry called, shaking her shoulder.

Hermione turned her head toward Harry, blinking as she came back to reality. "Yes?" she asked.

"It's time to go to the cemetery." Harry said softly.

"Wha...But, the funer..." she stammered, looking past him at the mourners slowly filing out of the church.

"Is over, love." Harry finished. "Come on." he said, gently taking hold of her arm.

"Oh." she said, nodding. "Alright, then."

"Excuse me, Miss Granger?" the vicar asked, stepping up beside her. "If you'd like to say goodbye, I can hold the pallbearers off for a few minutes."

"Thank you, Vicar." she said, giving him a tight smile. Turning back to Harry, she said, "I'll be right out."

Harry nodded, and silently walked to the back of the church, standing by the doors.

Slowly walking forward, Hermione's eyes once again focused on the caskets, and her vision got blurry with tears. As she stopped in front of them, she held Aiden a little tighter.

"If you'd prefer, I can open the lids for you." the vicar said from behind her.

"No." she said immediately. "But, thank you." she added in a thick voice. She had already seen them, and didn't need to see them again. The image of her once vital parents lying still in their caskets would forever be indelibly inked in her memory, and had no desire to duplicate it.

"As you wish." he said. "I'll just give you a moment." he said, walking away.

"You know, I always thought I'd be a little older when I had to stand here and say goodbye to one of you. Maybe in my sixties. And you would've had a nice, long life, and maybe it wouldn't be so hard to say goodbye. But, I'm not in my sixties, and I'm saying goodbye to both of you. And it's not fair. But, as I've learned, life is rarely fair." she said, ending on a sob.

"If I know you, Mum, and I do, you're probably looking down on Aiden and me and worrying. Please don't, though. We'll be fine. I swear. I'll raise Aiden as best as I can, and you know I don't like to fail at anything." Hermione said to her mother's casket. "I'm going to miss you both so much. I already do." she said, tears trickling down her cheeks. "When he gets older, Aiden is going to know all about you. I won't forget you, and I'll help him know who you were."

"And, yes, Dad, Manchester United all the way." she said to her father's casket with a little laugh, wiping her face with her free hand. "I'll try to take Aiden to a few games every season. And yes, when he gets older, I'll teach him how to drive. I promise I'll be the best big sister/role-model/substitute parent possible for him." she said.

"Please, don't worry. Just...enjoy the afterlife." she sobbed. "But, don't feel like you can't visit, I mean." she said, smiling sadly. "Say hi to Nana for me, and Pops, too. Tell them I miss them." she said, wiping her face again as she sniffled.

"I want to thank you, too. For everything. For teaching me how to be the person I am. For being so great when you found out I was a witch. For always supporting me in everything. For being the people I could turn to when I didn't feel like I had anyone else. For just being you, really. I'll always carry you two with me, no matter what." she sobbed quietly.

"I love you two, and I'll miss you." she added. Pressing a kiss to her fingers, she laid her hand on her father's casket, repeating it with her mother. "Goodbye." she whispered, closing her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she turned and slowly walked to the back of the church, joining Harry at the doors.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Anyone else feeling a bit emotional?**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I still own nothing.**

 **Thank you all so, so, so much for your wonderful reviews, or for adding this to your lists. Or me, for that matter.**

 **I wanted to post this a few days ago, but then I edited one part and it wouldn't flow right after that, so I've been trying to fix it. And I did! All together now - YIPPEE!**

 **By the way - today, 2*21 is Alan Rickman's 71st birthday. Just so you know. :)**

 **Alrighty - Go! Read and Enjoy!**

 **AN2: Big thanks to mandiecandie for catching a part I forgot to re-edit. If you read this before, at one point I had Ginny holding Aiden on her hip, but I fixed it so she's cradling him instead. Thanks so much for that, doll! :)**

* * *

 _Friday - 9:45 PM - Severus Snape's Quarters - Hogwarts_

 _'This can't be everything, can it?'_ Severus thought in confusion, staring at his old, weathered trunk. _'In twenty years, I've only acquired enough personal possessions to fill_ two _trunks?'_

Today was officially his last day at Hogwarts. As of tomorrow morning, he'd no longer be Professor Snape the potions teacher, he'd simply be Severus Snape, Potions Master. No longer having to dwell in the cold, dark, dank dungeons. Now, thanks to years of saving his paychecks, and the money he got each month for his potion's patents, he would be living in a studio apartment in the building right next door to his new shop, which he was lucky to get. According to the realtor, the studio he had purchased was the last one available, all the others having been purchased.

It wasn't the flat he had originally wanted, but the building had something none of the others did - a passageway on the first floor connecting the building to his shop. He'd be able to go from his flat to work without ever having to go outside, something that would be much appreciated in the cold winter months. Thanks to the torture he'd endured at Lord Voldemort's hands, as well as his fellow Death Eaters, the cold winters that both London and Hogsmeade were prone to made his joints and bones protest.

As he now stood in his near-empty quarters, he hoped the person who lived in here next at least decorated in a manner completely different from his. His quarters were decorated the same way they were when he moved in - an ugly velvet green sofa that was left by the professor before Slughorn, a couple of bookshelves that were always filled to the brim with books on every subject, a few side tables, an old rug, and a lamp. All that was there when he moved in, and all that was still there. The only thing he was taking with him was the few pieces of furniture he owned, along with his very comfortable recliner, all shrunk down and also in his trunk. Those, and the many books that filled up the other trunk.

Having all his things packed and ready for the move tomorrow, he decided to retire for the night. As he began to walk to his bedroom, he realized that his bed and all his bedding was also already packed away in the trunk. Scoffing at himself, he returned to the living room. Kicking his boots off on the once-shag styled rug, he laid on the sofa, pulling his cloak around himself as he waved his wand, muttering, "Nox," and plunging the room into darkness as he spent one last night on the lumpy old sofa.

* * *

 _Following Saturday - 11 AM - Granger residence_

Hermione sighed, leaning her head on the now closed cargo door of the moving truck. It had taken a little less than two weeks, but her childhood home was empty, what she didn't take to her apartment of her parent's things shrunk down to the size of doll furniture and lovingly tucked away in storage containers, ready to be hidden away from sight for the foreseeable future. Along with the furniture - the sofa, the chairs, the beds, tables, even the kitchen appliances, - everything had been loaded into the truck, and the house was ready for the new tenants.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione pulled herself away from the truck, pulling her sunglasses down over her eyes as she walked around to the other side where her friends and brother were waiting.

"Okay, uh...Gin, if you'll take Aiden to my flat with you, I'll take this stuff to the storage locker and meet you there." she said.

Ginny smiled, swaying a bit as she cradled Aiden in her arms. "Sure, love, but...are you sure you don't want us to do this for you, instead?" she asked.

Hermione shook her head, leaning in to press a kiss to Aiden's forehead. "No, but thanks." she said. "We'll see you in a bit."

"Be careful, Hermione." Ginny said.

"Yeah, are you sure you can drive one of these, Mione? It's awfully bloody big." Ron added, frowning at the truck.

"It's not that big, Ron. It'll be a breeze." Hermione said, opening the door and climbing into the driver's seat as Harry climbed into the passenger seat. "We'll see you at my place." she said, waving as she slowly took off.

"Come on, guys. We can stop and grab lunch from the Leaky for us all on the way." Dean said as she turned the corner and out of sight.

"Oh, that sounds great." Ginny said. "I've actually missed the Leaky's food." she laughed as they walked back toward the house.

"Hey, today's Saturday, right?" Ron asked as he locked the door behind him once they had entered the house.

"Uh...I think so, mate." Dean said, not completely sure.

"Oooh...that means the special today is shrimp fried rice." Ron said gleefully, slapping Dean on the back. "And Hannah knows to save me an order or two."

And on that note, the three lined up to floo to the Leaky Cauldron once more before Hermione had the Granger's floo disconnected.

* * *

 _Saturday - 11:30 AM - Hermione's apartment building_

"Do we really trust Ron not to eat everything before he gets to Mione's?" Ginny asked as she, Aiden, and Dean entered the lobby.

Dean chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm fairly certain even Ron can't eat five meals at once." he said, wincing as Aiden grabbed one of his dreadlocks and yanked.

"Yeah? You obviously don't remember Christmas three years ago when he ate all the pies Mum made." she said. "And..." she started, cutting herself off when she ran into a solid black wall. "Professor Snape!" she exclaimed.

"Miss Weasley." Severus said impassively, staring down at her.

"Oh, it's actually Mrs. Thomas now, Sir." Ginny said, motioning to Dean. "You remember my husband, Dean?"

"Hello, Professor." Dean greeted with a small wave, still trying to get Aiden to let go of his hair.

"Mr. Thomas." Severus said. "You have a...child?" he asked.

"Oh no! No, no, no, no, NO!" Ginny exclaimed, shaking her head. "He's not ours. We're just watching him." While she loved children, she and Dean hadn't been married long, and she was still too young, not to mention her career was just taking off, so children weren't in the cards just yet.

"I see." Severus said. Clearing his throat, he said, "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get home."

Ginny stepped to the side, allowing him room to pass. "Of course, Professor." she said. "Have a nice day, and I'm sorry I ran into you." she called as he walked past her and down the hall, disappearing into the stairwell.

"He's still as pleasant as ever." Dean said, placing his free hand on his wife's back, giving her a nudge toward the lift. "Come on, babe. I think this one needs a change." he said.

"Well, let's just...oh. I brought the diaper bag over this morning with that last box of his stuff." Ginny said. "I probably should have hung onto it." she mumbled, pushing the up button to the lift.

* * *

 _Severus - 11:45 AM_

Magic was a glorious thing. In only fifteen minutes, give or take, Severus had his bed set up and made, the deep green blanket bringing him some comfort in his new surroundings. Setting his two trunks to the side, he sighed and mentally prepared himself for the next task - visiting Madam Halifax's Housewares for furniture and other home items. Before, when he still resided at Hogwarts, he'd mentally scoff as he passed Madam Halifax's, eternally grateful he'd never had reason to step foot inside. But, he also had all the home items he'd needed at the time.

And now he didn't. Oh, he knew he could easily conjure or transfigure any furniture he needed, but he preferred the real thing. So, before he could talk himself out of it, he once again donned his cloak, and made his way to Madam Halifax's.

Entering the store, Severus was a tad overwhelmed. Not by the store itself, no. It was the aroma of the room that overwhelmed his senses. The store had that smell of all the new furniture blended together, but also the smell of perfume that reminded him of how his mother would smell on the rare occasion she could afford a bottle of her favorite perfume. It was a musky scent tinted with just a hint of lilacs.

"Can I help you, sir?" a young man, wearing a nametag saying Jacob asked, looking at him curiously.

"I...I have recently moved, and am in need of furniture." Severus stated, looking around the store.

"Okay." Jacob nodded. "How about we start with living room furniture and go from there?" he asked, holding his hand out toward the section of the store that held sofas and chairs.

"Very well." Severus agreed. "But, let me warn you in advance. Nothing - I mean _absolutely nothing -_ red, or gold, or, Merlin forbid, _bright._ I want something dark - preferably green or black, but brown will suffice." he said, scowling as he walked ahead.

Jacob blew out a breath, sensing he had his work cut out for him. "Yes, sir." he muttered, following his former Professor. "Uh...I think I have something you may like, sir. It's just right over here." he said, catching up and moving in front of Severus, leading him to a sofa set he'd been trying to sell with no luck. "As you can see, it's a beautiful set. It also comes with a matching all leather recliner, as well as this glass coffee table, and matching end tables."

Severus was surprised. The sofa set was more or less what he had envisioned when he thought - albeit briefly - about what kind of furniture he'd want in his flat. It was L-shaped, black leather at the bottom and the seats covered in a beige plush microfiber material, with one end extending into a chaise lounge.

"Hmmm." Severus hummed, taking a seat on it. Needless to say, it took all of his self-control not to sigh in pleasure. This had to be one of the most comfortable sofas he'd ever sat on. "I'll take it." he nodded, rising.

Jacob smiled, pleased he'd made a sale. And to Severus Snape, of all people. "Excellent, sir. What else can I help you with?" he asked.

Another hour and a half later, Severus was walking back to his flat in as good of a mood as he'd remembered having. He had bought all the furniture he needed for his flat, with everything being delivered that afternoon, and he had barely made a dent in his bank account.

It was shaping up to be one of his most productive days since the war ended.

* * *

 _Storage unit - 12:30 PM_

"Thanks again, Harry." Hermione said, pulling the retractable door down, shutting everything away. "This would've taken forever by myself." she added, placing the padlock on.

"No problem, Mione." he said, cleaning his glasses on his shirt hem. "I just hope I'm not going to be too tired later. I have a date with Draco, and would like to be able to stay awake for it."

"Oh, yeah?" she asked, getting in the driver's seat of the truck. "How's that going, by the way? This is what? Your fourth date?" she asked, waiting for him to put on his seatbelt before shifting it into gear.

Harry nodded, a wide smile forming on his face. "Yep. Well...technically it's our fifth, if you count when we had lunch together last week." he said. "But, we don't have to talk about that, Mione."

"Harry," she sighed, pulling out of the parking lot into traffic, "it's fine. I _want_ to talk about it. Or anything normal, really. I need to get back into the flow of regular life, with regular events, and that includes my interest in your dating Draco Malfoy." she said, reaching over to give his knee a little squeeze. "But I appreciate the thought."

"Sure." he said, smiling. He was glad to see his best friend starting to get back to normal. Or, rather, getting into the flow of her new normal, anyway. "And so you know, it's going really well."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." he nodded, watching the traffic in front of them. "Merlin, Mione...he's nothing like he used to be. He's not a huge prat anymore. I mean, when you actually get him to relax and open up, it's amazing how different he is."

"Harry, I know he's different now." Hermione said, pulling into the turning lane. "If he wasn't, _The Chosen One_ wouldn't be dating him." she laughed.

"Oh, ha ha." he said, rolling his eyes. "Laugh it up, _Princess_." he said, using her much-disliked nickname.

"Shut it, Potter." she mocked. "So, what are the plans for tonight, anyway?" she asked.

"Nothing much. We usually go to this little café in muggle London. Draco actually took me there for our second date, and now, it's sorta become 'our' place." he explained.

"Awww...you already have a place." she cooed. "That is so sweet. Truly." she said, coming to a stop in front of a duplex. "Alright. Give me a second to take the keys back, and then we'll walk a little way down the street and apparate to Diagon Alley." she said, killing the engine and sliding out.

Harry jumped out and waited by the truck on the pavement, wondering who it was she knew here, and why she'd never mentioned them. Or maybe she had. He got so lost in thinking back to any friends in the muggle world she may have had that he jumped when Hermione tapped him on the shoulder.

"You ready, Harry?" she asked, laughing at his jumpiness.

Harry nodded, and the two started off down the street. "Hey, who did you go visit?" he asked.

"My dad's mechanic, Jimmy. Twenty pounds and you can rent his truck, no questions asked." she answered.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Jimmy's a bit shady. But, it's cheaper than renting a truck from a moving company, and I'll probably never see him again, so..." she said, shrugging. "Now, I don't know about you, but I desperately want to change into something else." she said, indicating her jeans. "These aren't the most comfy jeans, you know."

Harry laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Yeah. Plus, I think Dean mentioned something about lunch when we were loading the truck."

"Oooh...it's Saturday. That means Ron's weekly trip to the Leaky for their shrimp fried rice! And you know he always brings me some." she laughed, ducking with Harry into a small grove of trees and spinning away.

Upon landing, Hermione took a second to get her bearings. Apparating always left her a bit woozy, but thankfully, Harry was there to hold her up until she was steady enough to stand on her own.

The two laughed as they walked, waving at the various people who greeted them, and missing the frown on the face of one man as he watched them enter the lobby of the same building he was going to.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Didn't I promise it would get happier? And you have to admit, this was a fairly happy chapter. :)**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I still don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Thank you guys so, so much for the wonderful reviews, for adding to your favorite list, and for following.**

 **I am so sorry for the wait, everyone. I meant to have this up last weekend, but this chapter was giving me fits. Truly. Just when I had everything worked out how I wanted, a voice would pop up in my mind and convince me to change it, or add this, don't put that, or 'Oh, that's stupid'. So, I've been working on this for the past week, and I'm finally happy with it. Breath of relief in 3...2...1...Ahhhh.**

 **And...to make up for the extra week wait, this chapter is nearly twice as long. At last count, I had over 3k words, which is unusual for me. But, I've been trying to make the chapters longer, so maybe it's a good thing? I dunno.**

 **I have to admit - I cheated a little for this chapter. I got the parts of _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2_ from the movie instead of the book. My apologies if that upsets anyone. I shared clips from YouTube for what I used on my Facebook page. **

**Alright...it's 2:30 in the morning, and I'm going to bed after publishing this. Goodnight, and Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Warnings: Language**

* * *

Entering her flat, Hermione smiled as the smell of shrimp fried rice hit her nostrils. It hadn't really been that long since she'd had breakfast, but she was starving, and the Leaky Cauldron's Saturday special was just the thing she needed.

"Hey, guys." Ginny smiled, giving Harry and Hermione a little wave. "You're just in time. Ron _literally_ just got here with the food." she said.

"Yeah, and good news, Mione," Ron exclaimed, vanishing the take-away bags as Hermione and Harry took seats at the wooden table, "Hannah included _triple_ shrimp fried rice for each of us!" he laughed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Oh, bless that woman." Hermione sighed, looking around. "Where's Aidy?" she asked.

"Well, when we got here, he needed a change, so I gave him a clean diaper and put him in his crib for a nap." Ginny said, setting a plate down in front of Hermione.

"Thanks, Gin." she smiled, grabbing one of the cartons of rice. "Remind me to give Hannah a giant Christmas present for serving Chinese on Saturdays." she laughed, piling it high on her plate.

"Actually, Mione," Harry called from the kitchen, having gone to get drinks, "you'd have to send a present to Cho." he finished, coming back with an armful of sodas. "Hannah and Cho are friends, and from what I understand, Cho used to complain that there weren't any places to find Chinese food in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade."

Hermione scrunched up her face at that thought. "I dunno. Cho still isn't that fond of me."

"Sign Harry's name to the card." Dean shrugged, making everyone laugh.

* * *

After waiting a few moments to ensure he wouldn't run into either Potter or Granger, Severus stalked the halls of his building, heading straight for his flat. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but seeing those two brought back a few memories he'd rather forget. Reaching a hand up to run it through his hair, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths in hopes of calming his nerves as he realized his hands were shaking.

It didn't work, and instead, he found himself submerged in memories.

SS

 _Severus looked on in shock as his students parted, Harry Potter himself coming to stand in the middle of the aisle. In his eyes, a look Severus had never seen - complete and utter hatred - aimed directly at him._

 _'It seems despite your exhaustive defensive strategies,' Potter said, the doors to the Great Hall opening, Order filing in, prepared to fight, Granger and Weasley in the lead, 'you still have a bit of a security problem,_ Headmaster _.' he said, spitting out the title as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. 'And I'm afraid it's quite extensive.'_

 _It dawned on Severus that this was it. This was the beginning of the end. As he locked eyes with Potter, he felt his pulse speed up, and only his years of practice kept him from outwardly showing his panic._

 _'How dare you stand where he stood? Tell them! Tell them how it happened that night! Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him!' Potter shouted, his voice filled with contempt._

 _As he pulled his wand, merely for show, it never crossed his mind that Minerva would step up, pushing Potter out of the way. He knew she wholly believed him to be a traitor, as she was supposed to, but he never imagined she'd actually pull her wand on him. She never had before. As she started throwing spells at him, he froze, unable to do anything other than reflect them. He had known Minerva since he was a boy, and despite needing to keep up appearances, couldn't bring himself to duel her. Once she had paused, watching in confusion as he deflected the spells toward the Carrows, he did the only thing he could think of at the moment._

 _He fled, her shout of 'Coward' filling his ears as he flew out of the window, into the darkness._

SS

Shakily, he absently found his chair, throwing himself into it. Despite all he'd done in his lifetime, that was one of his worst memories. For a man like himself, who'd spent the better part of twenty years lying straight to the Dark Lord and the other Death Eaters, to be chased out of a castle by a witch was utterly humiliating. Although, he supposed it was understandable if the witch were Minerva McGonagall.

Especially if it were Minerva. When someone she loved was threatened, she could be more deadly than the Dark Lord.

And at the thought of the Dark Lord, another memory showed its unpleasant face, unbidden.

SS

 _'You've been a good and faithful servant, Severussss,' the Dark Lord said, 'but only I can live forever.'_

 _This was it. Severus knew his time was truly at an end. He decided to go for broke, and beg._

 _'My Lord...' he started, getting cut off when the Dark Lord wordlessly sliced his neck._

 _'Nagini...kill.' he ordered, turning away as the large snake started her attack._

 _Severus was powerless to do anything but lie on the dirty floor, and pray for a quick death. As the snake struck again, and again, and again, Severus thought of the irony - a snake being taken down by a snake._

 _Suddenly, the attack was over, and as he felt the blood gushing out of his neck, the distant sound of apparition floated to his ears, signaling the departure of the Dark Lord and his...pet. And as if the whole situation wasn't degrading enough, Potter, Granger, and Weasley appeared, horrified looks on their dirty, bloody, faces._

 _He knew what he had to do. Potter had to know how this was supposed to end. How it all started, really. Silver tears streaking his face, he muttered, 'Take...them,' as Potter knelt beside him, placing a hand on his neck and trying to stop the bleeding._

 _'Hermione, I need a vial.' he said, panic filling his voice as he turned to Granger, holding a hand out. 'Quickly!' he shouted when she didn't move fast enough for him._

 _Glancing up at Granger, Severus realized there were so many things he wanted to say to her, but knew he couldn't waste time. Potter needed his memories more than Granger needed to hear his words of apology._

 _If he were going to die, Severus decided he wanted to see her eyes one last time, unsure if he'd run into her in the afterlife. 'Look...at...me.' he whispered, his eyes trained on Potter as his vision started going blurry. Those same green eyes, the ones he had fallen in love with so long ago, shining through the dirty glasses he wore for so long, pierced his soul. And to Severus, he was no longer looking at Harry, he was looking at Lily._

 _'You have your mother's eyes.' he said, losing the battle with consciousness._

SS

Suddenly, Severus was back in his flat, blinking as the white walls, waiting to be decorated came back into view. As he sat, breathing deeply as he waited for his heart to stop racing, he decided he needed air. Standing, he removed his cloak, and headed for the balcony.

* * *

The five friends sat around Hermione's dining table for a while, talking about nothing and laughing at everything, when a cry sounded from the nursery.

"Ah...the little squirt's awake." Ron commented, finishing off his soda.

"Ron, don't call him a squirt." Hermione chuckled, rising. "And he's probably hungry." she said, heading toward the nursery.

"I'll get a bottle fixed, Mione." Harry called, going into the kitchen, Ginny following.

"So," she started, leaning against a counter, "tonight's the big night with Draco, huh?" she asked, a smirk forming.

Harry flushed as he avoided looking at her. "Uh...hopefully." he answered. "At least _I_ hope so." he frowned.

"I'm sure it will be, Harry." Ginny said.

"What will it be?" Hermione asked, joining the two with Aiden in her arms.

"Tonight's the night for Harry and Draco." Ginny answered, smiling at Aiden's sleepy face.

"That's what I'm hoping." Harry said, handing Hermione the freshly heated bottle.

"Well," Hermione said, lowering the bottle to Aiden's mouth, "if you were a woman, I'd tell you to wear your fanciest bra and knicker set. But, as it is, you should still wear some fancy boxers."

"What?" Harry asked, tilting his head.

"Well, if tonight is _the night_ , then when Draco sees your boxers, and they're fancier than your everyday boxers, he'll know you were hoping for...you know." she said, smiling softly at him.

"Oh! Do you still have those silky ones?" Ginny asked, excitedly. "You know, the ones Dean got you as a joke?"

"Uh...yeah. Somewhere." Harry nodded. "Why?"

"Wear those. Nothing says 'Shag Me' like something silky." Ginny said. "It always works, trust me. I have this silky pink number, and when I'm in the mood..."

"Ah, Gin? Baby in the room." Harry interrupted, pointing to Aiden, who was staring at Ginny as he suckled from the bottle.

"Oh!" she gasped. "I...wait. Does he actually understand us?" she asked, wary.

"Dunno." Harry shrugged, crossing his arms. "But I got you to stop talking, didn't I?" he asked, laughing with Hermione as Ginny narrowed her eyes at him.

"Ha. Ha." she said.

"But, hang on...is it acceptable to wear underpants another guy got you, even if you're not in a relationship with that guy?" Harry asked, unsure.

"Well..."

"I don't think so, Harry." Hermione said, shaking her head. "I mean, they _were_ a gag gift, so..."

"Oh. Alright then." Harry said, nodding. "I'll go with those."

"Well, now that we got that fire put out, I think Aiden and I will go enjoy the sunshine." Hermione said, turning and walking slowly into the living room and towards the balcony door.

* * *

The fresh air helped, surprisingly. As soon as he stepped onto the balcony, Severus' mind cleared, and after a few moments, his heart resumed normal beating. It was apparent that getting a flat with a balcony was a good thing, as he predicted many moments on it calming himself.

 _'Maybe I was seeing things? Yes, that's what it was - just an awful hallucination.'_ he thought, letting out a breath of relief.

The sound of a door opening caught his attention, and he turned his head to the right. Severus stepped slightly back, so as not to be immediately seen, as Hermione Granger stepped onto a balcony, the same baby in her arms as he'd seen the youngest Weasley with earlier.

 _'So, it wasn't a hallucination, eh? I live in the same building as one of the Golden Trio, huh? Fan-fucking-tastic.'_ he thought, sneering. _'Well, now...let's find out which one, Sevvy.'_ he thought, narrowing his eyes in thought as he kept his eyes focused on Granger's swaying form.

 _'It's not Potter, I know that. Everyone knows he still resides in Grimmauld Place.'_

It was no secret to the Order that Harry decided to stick around and give Grimmauld a face-lift, so to speak. He had knocked down every non-supporting wall, and had completely changed the layout. He had also brought the old home into the twentieth century, having it wired for electricity and having a telephone installed, as well as a telly. Severus had yet to go there, but according to Minerva, Potter had made it a wonderful (her words, not his), blend of magic and muggle.

 _'That means it's either the Ginger Menace, or the Know-It-All. Neither of those choices are less awful than Potter.'_ he thought.

Sliding his wand down his arm into his hand, he gave it a wave, wordlessly casting _Exaudirent_ , which would allow him to hear everything said from the flat.

 _'Then maybe I'll know which of the lesser two evils I live near.'_ he thought.

SS

"...and down that way," Granger said, pointing toward the east, "is where Harry lives. And, if we look this way," she said, turning toward the balcony door, "that's where the Burrow is. Or, where it would be if the buildings weren't there, and you had _excellent_ vision. It's actually quite a way to Devon. Oh, but it's worth it. I'll take you to the Burrow someday, and you'll see. It's magical, no pun intended." she chuckled, turning back around.

The balcony doors opened again, and Ginny poked her head out. "Hey, Mione, we're sending Dean to Fortescue's for some frozen yogurt. You want anything?"

"No, thank you." she said over her shoulder.

"Okay, then." the red-head smiled, going back in.

SS

 _'Hmmm...no clues there. But, it is nice to know someone besides me is able to resist Fortescue's.'_

SS

Severus listened to Granger softly talk to the child in her arms for another few minutes before the door opened once more, and Weasley stepped out.

"Not bothering you, am I?" he asked, sitting on one of the wicker chairs that occupied the large balcony.

"No, you're fine." she smiled.

"Can I ask you something, Mione?" Weasley asked, tilting his head. At her nod, he continued. "Is it hard...knowing you're responsible for Aiden now?"

"Hard? No. For now, it's easy. Mostly, anyway." she said, easing herself onto the wicker sofa next to Weasley's chair. "In all honesty, it's when he's older that worries me."

"What?"

"Well, for right now, it's simple taking care of him. Bottles, diapers, onesies...that sort of thing. I can do that in my sleep, probably." Granger chuckled, shaking her head. "It's when he starts crawling, and walking, and talking, and becomes more like a person than a sack of potatoes. And when he's older than that, and I have to teach him how to be a good person, and how to treat others, and that's not even taking into consideration what happens if it turns out he's a wizard. Then, I have to teach him how to be a muggle, but at the same time be a wizard, and how to blend in with muggles, and how to keep his magic a secret, but he's going to be just as fascinated as I was with the wizarding world, and he's going to want to tell everyone that he gets to live in this fairytale world, but he can't..."

"Whoa! Mione, take a breath!" Weasley said with a chuckle, interrupting Granger's rambling.

"Sorry. I got a bit carried away." she said, frowning. "Why do you ask?"

"Uh...well..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck as he flushed. "You know that girl I've been seeing off and on?"

"Ella? Yeah." she said, nodding.

"She's pregnant." he said, shrugging.

SS

 _'Oh, great.'_ Severus thought, rolling his eyes. _'Just what the world needs. A mini-Ginger Menace.'_

SS

Granger's mouth literally dropped, and Severus watched as she gaped at him, her brain obviously frozen in shock.

"Yeah," Weasley nodded, "do that for another two hours, only add in some squeaks and squeals, and that's how I reacted." he said.

"Sorry, sorry." Granger said, shaking her head. "Uh...how far is she?"

"About a month or so."

"Does...does Molly know?"

Weasley shook his head in the negative. "No. Just...just you. For now, anyway."

"And...are you okay?" she asked.

"Honestly? I'm scared shitless, Mione." Weasley said, running his hand through his ginger locks. "I don't know how I'd be with a baby. I mean, I've ever only been around Teddy when Harry brings him to the Burrow, and the few times I've been home when Bill and Fleur bring Victoire by."

"Here. Hold Aiden for a moment." she said, not giving Weasley a chance to object before she was placing the child in his arms.

"But, Mione..." he said, floundering. "Mione...please..."

"Just hold Aiden and listen, Ron." Granger said, leaning against the balcony bars. "I know I don't speak from experience, you'd have to talk to your mum about this, but it's different when it's your own child, you know. It just...comes naturally. Right now, I'm guessing you've got an 'Oh, Merlin, I better not drop him' feeling, right?"

"Well...yeah." Weasley nodded, sheepishly.

"Imagine that feeling multiplied by a million." she said, thinking back to how her mother had described holding her for the first time.

"Wow." he whispered.

Granger nodded. "Right? Now, without thinking, do you want to be a father?"

"Yeah, I do." he said instantly.

"Well, then...what are you waiting for?" Granger asked, gently taking the child back into her arms. "Get off your arse and go see Ella." she instructed.

"But..."

"But nothing. She needs to know you're going to be there for her during this, Ron." she said. "And once you two have this worked out, I'll have all of you over here for a big celebratory dinner." she winked.

"Thanks, Mione." Weasley said, standing and kissing her cheek. "You're the best." he said, heading back in.

"Oh, hold that door. I think someone just left me a little present." she cooed, following him inside.

SS

 _'Oh, for fuck's sake.'_ Severus thought, cancelling the spell and going back into his own flat. _'Granger.'_

"Shite." he whispered in the empty apartment.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Exaudirent is Latin for 'Overhear'.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I own nothing. Still. As always.**

 **Thank you all so much for the reviews, for adding to your favorites, or for following. I still get tickled when I get that notice in my e-mail that someone has found my stories interesting enough to follow or fave. Or me, for that matter.**

 **I'm so sorry for the wait. I meant to have this up last weekend, when I had the house (gloriously) to myself, and had plenty of time to write, but then I got side tracked finishing up some crafts for the local craft fair next weekend, and...I'm just sorry. But, it's here now, and hopefully it was worth the wait.**

 **Oh, btw...Did I mention that Hermione's going to be OOC in this? Well, if I didn't before, I am now. You'll see what I mean.**

 **Alrighty...I think that's enough of me. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Warnings: Language; implied slash sexual situations; mention of character death**

* * *

 _Hermione's flat - 7:30 PM_

"Oh, for the love of Merlin, just go, Harry." Hermione sighed, seeing her best friend look at his watch for the hundredth time. Harry was too nice to say anything out loud, but she knew her friend. He was extremely anxious to go on his date, which, as he confessed earlier, he was hoping was going to be _the_ night for him and Draco.

"What?" he frowned, trying to get his twitchiness under control. Harry didn't want to be rude, but he was due to meet Draco in just about an hour, and needed to get going so he could get ready.

"Go." Hermione repeated, pointing at her floo. "Go home, love, and get ready for your date with Draco." she finished with a chuckle.

"Nah, it's fine." he said, shaking his head. "I...have some time." he added awkwardly.

Hermione shook her head, sighing again. "Harry, I appreciate the help, truly. But, do me one favor?" she asked. "Remember what I said earlier - don't put off things that are important to you just because you think I need help. I'll be fine."

"You sure?" he frowned, glancing between her and Aiden, who was lying very contentedly in her arms, observing his new surroundings.

"Positive." she nodded. "As soon as you're gone, I'm gonna bathe Aiden, hopefully put him to bed for more than three or four hours, eat dinner myself, and then..." she paused, adding with a scoff, "probably pass out on the couch for a few hours until Aiden wakes up demanding food."

"Mione..."

"Harry," she sighed again, frowning at him, "are you really gonna pass up the chance of possibly having hot, sweaty sex with Draco Malfoy because you showed up looking...scruffy...just to stay here with me for a few more minutes?" she asked.

"I wasn't going to show up looking scruffy, as you put it." Harry said. "I was gonna cast a few cleansing spells and transfigure this," he said, giving his old blue shirt a few tugs, "into something nicer." he finished lamely.

"Oh, Harry...no. Just...no." Hermione said, shaking her head. "Don't get me wrong, I love magic for most things. But a cleansing spell isn't nearly as effective as an actual shower." she said. Holding up a finger when he started to say something, she added, "Trust me. Draco will appreciate it, and later, when you two are tangled up in his no-doubt very expensive silk sheets, you'll thank me." she teased. "Besides, what happened to the plan earlier to wear those fancy boxers of yours, huh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um..." he stammered.

Hermione sighed. If she were honest, she was more than a bit disappointed. Here her friend had the chance to have a memorable night with his lover...or soon to be lover, at any rate...and he was hesitant to go just to stay with her for a while longer. Which, if she were honest, was sweet, but also frustrating.

"Harry, make tonight about _you_ _and Draco_ , not me." she stressed.

"Well..." he said, "if you're sure you'll be okay..."

"Positive." she nodded, smiling at him now. "It's like I told Gin and Dean earlier when they felt bad for leaving - I'll be fine. Believe it or not, I _have_ been alone with Aiden before." she laughed.

"Okay, okay, you win." he said, holding his hands up. "I'm going. And hey - lunch tomorrow at Fortescue's?" he suggested.

"I'll be there, and if he wants, bring Draco along." Hermione said. "If he's changed as much as you say, I'd like to meet the new Draco."

"I'll ask him." Harry promised, standing. "You know I love you, right?" he asked, bending over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"I do know, actually." she said, letting out a little yawn.

"Get some sleep, Hermione, and I'll see you tomorrow." he said, throwing some floo powder down, giving her a wave as he stepped into the fireplace.

"See you." she waved, smiling.

"Grimmauld Place." he said, disappearing in the green flames.

With a deep sigh, Hermione eased herself and Aiden off the sofa. "Okay, kid. Let's get you cleaned up and into bed, shall we?" she asked, chuckling when he kicked his feet, babbling in what Hermione hoped was excitement. Nodding, she said, "Oh, I agree. It's going to be loads of fun."

* * *

 _Severus' flat - also 7:30 pm_

 _'Well, Severus, that's finished.'_ his mind whispered. _'Now what's stopping you, hmmm?'_

"Oh, do shut up." he said, promptly feeling silly for talking to himself.

However, looking around his newly furnished - with everything set up by himself - flat, he realized there was nothing stopping him. For the past few hours, since he'd come back in from the balcony, he'd been debating whether or not to pay Miss Granger a visit. There were many things he wanted to say to her, and felt the sooner, the better. There was no use in putting it off for too much longer.

Severus still remembered the last time they talked. Or...rather, the last time she talked, anyway. Who knew Miss Granger could be so chatty?

 _SS_

 _As Severus came to, one of the first things he noticed was that his throat was numb. Not even the dry swallow was felt, sending him into a temporary panic. Slowly inhaling deeply, he detected the unique smell of antiseptic, which could only mean that he was at St. Mungo's._

 _'Well...fuck it all.' he thought, mentally sneering. 'I survived. I hope you're happy now, Lily.'_

 _A crunching noise broke through his thoughts, making him silence himself and pay attention._

 _"...of course, now I know, but, as they say, hindsight is twenty/twenty." he heard through the crunching. "You know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and all that tripe."_

 _'Granger.' he thought, silently sighing. 'That's it...the gods hate me.'_

 _"I mean, she's forgiven me now, but let me tell you, back then I think she was one of the ones hoping I bit it during the war. Not that I blame her, of course. Marietta's all cleared up, so there was really nothing to be bothered about now. Besides, it wasn't my fault it lasted so long. The curse was only supposed to be temporary, not last for four years, but..."_

 _'Can I go ahead and die now?'_

 _"I'm sorry if I'm rambling, which I know I am, but I just don't know what's gotten into me. I haven't talked this much since...well, ever, I think. But, it's not like you can tell me to shut it, or anything. Hmmm...maybe that's why. There's nobody to interrupt me for once."_

 _'Where were you when the Dark Lord was looking for new torture methods?'_

 _"You know, I always thought you were quite prickly..."_

 _'You don't say?'_

 _"I mean, I understand why_ now _, but let me tell you, there were a few times back then I really wanted to pop you one. And I would have, too, if you weren't my teacher. But, you would have had it coming, and you know I'm right. I usually am, but that's beside the point."_

 _'Merlin, Granger...tell me how you really felt.'_

 _"Anyway...I know you're not going to be very happy when you wake up, but I don't care. You're alive, at least, to be hacked off, so that's something. I don't know if I'll ever tell you this to your face...when you're awake, I mean...but I'm not sorry I saved you. I saw too damn many people...good people who didn't deserve to die...fall that day, and dammit! Saving you was the least I could do. You can yell at me, or curse me, or whatever when you're better, but I'm still not going to be sorry. At least you're alive to be upset."_

 _'That's it, Granger, just pile on to my guilt.'_

 _"Besides, I spent nearly two and a half hours going 'round and 'round with Bellatrix, and let me tell you...after that crazy bitch, not much scares me anymore, so just give it your best shot, Professor."_

 _'I should say not.'_

 _"And now, knowing how the Marauders tortured you during your school days, I'm sure you're going to do a jig when you...when you hear...hear that Remus...Remus was one of the fallen..."_

 _'Fuck. I'm not that horrible, Granger. Besides, Remus was the most tolerable of the four.'_

 _"...along with Tonks. Funny, sweet, full of life Tonks. She just had a baby, you know? And now Harry's filled with guilt...well, even more than usual, anyway...because they'll never know their son..."_

 _'Gods, please stop crying, Granger.'_

 _"...and poor Mrs. Tonks has lost everyone she loved..."_

 _'Stop crying, you cloth-eared bint!'_

 _"...except for Teddy and Mrs. Malfoy, and that's just a whole other story."_

 _'What the shit? How can she cry and still eat? Mmmm...smells good, though.'_

 _"I'm sorry, Professor. I'm sure if you were awake you'd be telling me to stop crying. And I've tried, trust me, but it's not easy. I've spent the last several weeks crying over someone, or being force fed by Molly who seems to think I need to weigh more than I used to."_

 _'Ha! Welcome to the club of the underfed according to Molly, Granger.'_

 _"I know I lost quite a bit of weight during this last year, but really. How much does the woman think I eat in one go? I'm not Ron."_

 _'Indeed. I swear that boy could eat the backend off a hippogriff if he wanted.'_

 _"I swear, without even trying, I think Ron could eat the arse off a hippogriff."_

 _'I just said that, Granger.'_

 _"I have more to talk about, but I should be getting back to Hogwarts. I've been given the task of cleaning up the library with Madam Pince, and it's coming along just slowly."_

 _'I imagine it is, if you spend all your time eating.'_

 _"I'll come back later, Professor."_

 _'Bloody hell! I am not a child to tuck in, Granger!'_

 _"Bye, Professor."_

 _'Thank fuck she's gone.'_

 _Slowly, once he was sure he was alone, Severus opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh light of day coming in through the windows._

 _'Well...shit.'_

 _SS_

Gathering his cloak, Severus took a deep breath as he stepped into the hallway. There was no time like the present.

* * *

 _Hermione's flat - 8:15 pm_

"Okay, babe...it's sleepy time." Hermione cooed, rocking gently as she tried to lull Aiden to sleep. "You go to sleep, and then Sissy will go to sleep, and then...well, we'll wake up and do this all over again, won't we?" she asked, smiling at him as his little eyelids started drooping.

An orange blur caught Hermione's eye, and she turned her head to see Crookshanks entering the nursery.

"Well, I was wondering when you'd stop moping, Mister." she said, chastising her precious kitty. "I don't know why you felt the need to throw a hissy fit, Crooks. You know Aiden."

Crookshanks just gave her a look, which Hermione could have sworn was him rolling his eyes at her.

"Besides, now you have someone else to protect, and not just me." she said. When Crookshanks sat up higher, Hermione chuckled softly. "That's what I thought."

Looking down at baby Aiden, she was relieved to see he was asleep. Easing out of the rocking chair, she went over and gently lowered him into his crib.

"Goodnight, babe." she whispered, pulling the light blanket over him a bit.

Pulling his door shut, she cast a silencing spell, making sure she had the magic-proofed baby monitor that Fleur got her so she'd hear him crying when he woke up.

"Alright, Crooks...dinner for us." she said, entering her kitchen. "Let's see...I think I gave you salmon last time, so how about tuna tonight?" she asked, holding up a tin of special cat food. Crookshanks meowed softly and rubbed against her legs, purring. "I'll take that as a yes." she said, opening the tin and putting in his special bowl with goldfish on the bottom.

Setting the dish on the floor, she smiled as he dug his little smushed up face into the food, eating hungrily.

"Now, something for me." she said, opening her cupboards. "Oh! I forgot I had this." she exclaimed, grabbing a can of beef stew. "Just what I wanted." she said, grabbing a bowl out of the other cupboard. Pulling the tab to open the can, she was more than a bit dismayed when the doorbell rang, meaning she'd have to wait to eat.

Stomach growling in protest at waiting, Hermione trudged to the door, peering through the peep hole, only seeing a black wall. Frowning, she opened the door a bit, surprised at who was waiting. After all, only one person had that particular head of hair.

"Professor Snape?"

The black wall turned, indeed revealing her former Professor.

"Miss Granger." he nodded. "Might I come in? I'd like to...have a word with you."

Surprised, Hermione just nodded, opening the door wider and standing back. "Please, do come in." she said, holding her hand out. Closing the door behind him, she motioned to him to have a seat at the table. "Uh...can I get you anything?" she asked, feeling the whole situation a bit surreal.

"Tea." he said, tacking on "Please." for good measure.

"Alright." she nodded. "Just...give me a minute." she said, going back into the kitchen.

"What the hell?" she whispered, feeling very confused as she got the kettle boiling. "I wonder what he wants." she murmured. Deciding to just go with it, and not freak out beforehand, she got the tea ready, and heated up her stew. Placing the bowl and the tea things on a tray, she carried it out to the dining room table, nearly laughing at the dark clad man sitting stiffly at her little table.

"Here we are, Sir." she said, handing him the teacup. "I hope you don't mind if I eat while we talk. It's been a long day, and I haven't had a chance to eat since lunch." she said, taking the seat opposite him.

"Not at all, Miss Granger." he said, sipping his tea.

"Super." she smiled. Once she got the crackers crushed up into her bowl, she looked up at her former Professor. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?" she asked, taking a bite of the stew.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I still don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Thank you all so much for the reviews, for following, or for adding to your favorites. Either this story, one of my others, or myself. Big time thanks. And just know, I'm grateful for every single one of my readers, and I hope I never let any of you down. I always try to give you the best chapters in every story, hence the reason it sometimes so long.**

 **Speaking of long, I'm sorry this took so long, but it was giving me fits. Then, once I got it how I wanted, I couldn't decide what to cut off and save for the next chapter. But I think I finally got it just right.**

 **Enough of me. Go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Warnings: Minor swearing - that's it. :)**

* * *

Severus sat his cup gently on the table before sitting back in his chair, giving her a solemn look. In actuality, he knew what he wanted to say to the little witch, but he had no idea how to start. Mentally, he chastised himself for not preparing what he was going to say. Crossing his legs, he took a moment to take her image in. It had been a little over six months since he'd last seen Granger, and she looked much the same, yet different in some way.

While he sat staring at her, Hermione was also examining him. The last time she'd seen Professor Snape had been the afternoon she graduated from Hogwarts. He had stood, wearing his signature black robes, showing no emotion at all as the 'eighth' years had received their diplomas before the real seventh year graduates. He had been as stoic as ever, and for some reason, Hermione found herself surprised to realize she was going to miss him.

Clearing his throat, Severus shook his head, clearing his mind. "Miss Granger, apologies and words of gratitude do not come easily for me, so try not to interrupt me." he said. "Too much." he added, knowing she wouldn't be able to remain silent.

Hermione gave him a cheeky smile, but didn't comment. She knew she tended to interrupt people with questions when they were talking. It was part curiosity and part impatience, and something she'd been working on.

"First of all, I wish to...thank...you. If you had not come back to the Shack, I most certainly would have died there. The healers at St. Mungo's informed me several times that my survival was due in a big way to the treatment you gave me."

"Oh...uh, Professor Snape, it wasn't as big a deal as the healers seemed to make it." she protested. "I mean, it wasn't rocket science, or anything. You'd been attacked by a snake, and without anti-venom, you were most definitely going to die, so..." she said, trailing off.

"Miss Granger?" Severus prodded, wanting to know just how she saved his life.

Hermione squirmed in her seat, not wanting to give him the answer. While she knew that the Professor wasn't a believer in Voldemort's 'Pureblood Supremacy', and had grown up around muggles, she wasn't sure how he'd feel knowing she saved him using techniques she'd learned in a muggle first aid course.

"Professor, the truth is..." she started, stopping when a cry sounded from the monitor next to her.

Severus jumped at the wail, withdrawing his wand from his sleeve, prepared for danger.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Hermione exclaimed, holding her hands up. "Wands away, Professor! It's just the monitor, see?" she said, holding it up.

Back in his calm mindset, Severus gave a nod, once again stowing his wand up his sleeve. "My apologies, Miss Granger." he said stiffly.

"It's alright, Sir." she said, standing. "Just...give me a moment, and we can continue."

"Of course." he said.

"Great." she smiled. "If it's alright with you, though, I'd prefer to move this to the living room. Even with the cushions, these chairs tend to make my arse go numb, and I'd rather be comfortable." she said, not bothering to wait for a reply before hurrying down the hallway.

* * *

Severus was left simultaneously confused and amused. In all the time he'd known her, whether at Hogwarts or as a member of the Order, he'd never known Miss Granger to be so...Ronald Weasley-esque. Admittedly, his interactions with her were few and far from being deep, meaningful conversations, but, over the time he'd taught her, he'd gotten the impression that she was somewhat of a mix between Minerva and Narcissa Malfoy - soft and gentle in personality, as Narcissa was, but fierce when the occasion called for it, like Minerva.

Apparently, he was wrong.

 _'Ugh.'_ he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. _'Growing up with two boys as her best friends was bound to leave an impact. Although, I'd actually prefer if she were more like Potter.'_

Giving a mental shrug, he picked up his teacup and walked into the living room area, taking a seat in one of the two club chairs present. Looking around, Severus was immensely grateful that, unlike some others, Miss Granger had foregone the typical house colors, decorating her flat much like his. The walls and ceiling were an almost khaki color, with the floors made of oak hardwood. Her furniture was mismatched, but only in fabrics. While the chair he was sitting in was covered in leather, he noticed her beige sofa, which had a curve to it, was covered in some kind of plush fabric, and had a blue colored blanket draped over the back. With a large multi-colored rug and a round wooden coffee table, it was quite a cozy room.

Throw in frames and frames of photos of her friends, parents, and even a large photo of the Eiffel Tower, along with a few bookcases filled with books, and some knick-knacks, and it was something Severus could envision his flat being.

 _'Minus the photos of Potter and Weasley, that is.'_ he thought.

His attention was brought back when he saw Miss Granger entering the living room, the baby he saw her holding earlier in her arms.

* * *

"Sorry about that, Professor." Hermione said as she joined her former Professor in her living room. "I guess I should have known he wouldn't sleep just because I hoped he would." she said, moving Aiden to her left arm.

"Quite understandable, Miss Granger." Severus said, watching as she expertly lowered herself to the sofa, sitting with her legs folded under her, without jarring the baby too much.

"Now," she said, looking from Aiden back to Professor Snape, "where were we?" she asked.

"I believe, Miss Granger, you were about to explain how you saved me." Severus said, sipping his tea while eyeing her over the rim.

"Oh." Hermione flushed, hoping he'd forgotten about that while she'd been gone. "Um...alright, then. If you're sure you want to know." she said. At his impatient eyebrow raise, she sighed. "Alright, alright." she said. Taking a deep breath, she started her tale. "After it was all over, while everyone else was seeing to the bodies lying in the Great Hall...or, what was left of it, anyway...I went back to the Shack. It was with the intentions of getting your body to the Great Hall with all the others. After all, you deserved something better than lying on the dirty floor of the Shrieking Shack in a pool of your own blood." she said in a thick voice, fighting back tears. "When I got there, you were, of course, still lying where we'd left you. Which, by the way, I am _so, so sorry_ for, Professor." she said.

"Again, understandable, Miss Granger." Severus said softly. "You had a mission to finish, and no indication that I was still alive. Anyone in your position would have done the same." he said, seeing the gloss in her eyes as tears formed. For some reason, he felt the need to reassure her.

"Right." she said, clearing her throat. "Anyway, when I got there, I knelt down beside you...and then...then I reached out and...just to be sure, I felt for your pulse." she said, trying not to get choked up or start crying, but failing on the latter. "And...you can't know how...relieved...I was to feel one. I mean, it was faint, but it was there." she said, clearing her throat. "So, after I sent my patronus to Harry telling him to bring Pomfrey or someone to help, I...I conjured a wet cloth and wiped as much of the blood as I could off your neck. I would have used a _scourgify_ , but I didn't know if using magic interfere somehow, or what, so I decided against it. Once I had gotten it fairly cleaned off, I...I...started sucking what venom I could out, and spitting it on the floor."

Severus felt his eyes widen at that. "Miss Granger, do you know how incredibly dangerous that was? You could have been harmed yourself!" he exclaimed.

"I do know, actually, but it was worth the risk!" she exclaimed, raising her voice as high as she could without startling Aiden. "Besides," she said in a calmer tone, "I've heard from nearly everyone how dangerous it was, so save your breath, Professor. You can't say anything I haven't heard a hundred times. And for your information, I'd do it again in a heartbeat if necessary."

"Why, Miss Granger?" he asked, staring at her intently. "Why me, of all people? Surely there was someone else more deserving of your lifesaving efforts?"

Hermione shook her head. "There wasn't." she said, looking down at Aiden.

Severus immediately understood what she had meant, even without her saying so. He was the last survivor on the battlefield, as it were. There was no one else alive to save.

"I see." he said, clearing his throat and shifting uncomfortably. "While it was an incredibly dangerous, and somewhat stupid, effort, I thank you all the same." he said, staring into his teacup. Words of gratitude, much like apologies, didn't come easily to him, after all, and expressing himself made him uncomfortable.

"You're welcome, Professor." Hermione said, giving him a small smile.

"Seeing as you saved my life, I think it would be...acceptable...if you dispensed with formalities and called me Severus, Miss Granger." he said. "After all, I am no longer yours, or anyone's, Professor anymore."

"Alright, _Severus_." Hermione said, chuckling at how out of his comfort zone the dark man seemed to be. "But, in return, please stop calling Miss Granger. I'm not a student anymore, and hearing it from you makes me feel as though you're about to take points. My name is Hermione." she said, giving him a bright smile.

"Very well... _Hermione._ " Severus said, testing it out. "And, may I ask, who that is?" he asked, nodding at Aiden.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, giving a small laugh. "I'm sorry, Severus. This is Aiden, my baby brother." she said, propping him up a bit. "Aidy, this is Severus. He used to teach me and the boys a while ago." she said, making introductions.

"Hello, young Mister Granger." Severus said, feeling a bit silly for talking to a baby who obviously couldn't understand him.

Hermione laughed again as Aiden kicked his little feet, and babbled a bit at Severus. "Okay, little man. Let's try to get you back to sleep, hmm?" she said, rising off the sofa and settling Aiden into his little bouncer, turning on the music and the slow rocking motion. "There we are." she said, smiling at the baby. "If you need me, just give a shout." she said, smiling as she lightly tickled his tummy.

Severus was fascinated by the contraption she placed Aiden in. Although he was a bit concerned that she'd trust her brother in something like that. "Is that safe for him, Hermione?" he asked, still watching it curiously as she resettled on the sofa.

"Of course." she nodded. "If it wasn't, there's no way in hell he'd be in it." she said. "It's something my mum got at her baby shower. The lights, along with the music and the rocking motion calm him enough to go to sleep, and it helps in his development. At least that's what the research says, but we'll see." she shrugged.

"I see." he said, pulling his gaze back to her briefly before flicking back to the bouncer in curiosity and fascination. "This is one of the reasons I never thought muggles were inferior to wizards. Always coming up with new and interesting, not mention intelligent, ways of getting things done."

"Well, on behalf of muggles, I thank you." Hermione said, laughing. "I've been trying to explain that forever, and so far, the only one who seemed interested was..."

"Arthur Weasley." he finished, nodding. "Yes, he always has had an affinity for muggles." he said, smirking.

Hermione laughed again, nodding. "That's true. The first time he came to my house, he spent ages asking my dad questions about all of our muggle things." she said. "The microwave, the telly, the VCR, even the Newton Cradle that was displayed on the coffee table." she chuckled.

* * *

The two sat in amicable silence for a bit after that, neither knowing what to say next. It was only when Hermione came back from getting herself a drink that she started speaking.

"I'm curious about something, Severus." she started, once again making herself comfortable on the sofa. "How mad were you when you woke up at St. Mungo's?" she asked.

Severus sighed, setting his cup on the table beside him. "I wasn't angry, Hermione. I was...unsettled, more like. I didn't necessarily want to die, but I knew it was likely that I would, and I was more prepared for that than any life after I could have." he said. "Waking up in the hospital was, as I said, unsettling, and a bit of a shock. But, I had promised to enjoy my life should I make it through." he said, leaving out his trip to the other side.

"You know, I did come to visit you several times." Hermione said. "Harry, too. And I know Minerva did. Several people did, actually. Even the Malfoy's, from what I heard." she said.

"Yes, the list of visitor's was quite surprising." he nodded. "I have to admit I was shocked that Lucius came for a visit. Up to a certain point, I thought our friendship ended when I was outed as a spy." he said. "Of course, I should have known what he confirmed. As it turns out, Lucius had suspected long ago that I was no longer loyal to the cause."

"It's got to give you hope, though, doesn't it? I mean, he knew your true loyalties, but stayed friends with you, and didn't out you to _him_ , either." Hermione said.

"Since when are you a fan of Lucius Malfoy?" Severus asked, raising one eyebrow.

"I'm not." she said, shaking her head. "It's just...I've come across several former Slytherins, and former Death Eaters, who are noticeably different from how they were. I mean, Pansy Parkinson asks me to lunch at least twice a week since she started at the Ministry. She's friendly with _everyone_ there, even the squibs who clean the place. And the Pansy Parkinson I knew would have thrown a tripping jinx their way, not asked them about their families." she said. "And, according to Harry, Draco's changed from the giant prat he used to be, as well."

"True." Severus nodded thoughtfully.

"And if those two can change, it gives people the hope that someone like Lucius can." she continued. "Besides, I felt he was starting to change his thinking when I talked to him." she said. "Something about him was just...not the Lucius Malfoy of old." she shrugged.

"You talked to Lucius?" he asked, shocked. "About what?"

"Severus, I work in the DMLE. I'm the one who convinced Kingsley to put him on house arrest and parole rather than throw him back in Azkaban." Hermione said, smiling.

"I see." he said. "I suppose I should thank you, then, for going easy on him. After all, five years house arrest is infinitely better than even an hour in Azkaban." he said.

"I agree." Hermione said softly. "After I talked to him, I determined that prison wasn't the right place for Lucius. In all honesty, I don't think he would have lasted more than a year there, and the prosecutor I was working with wanted him locked up for at least twenty years."

"So, you went behind their back?" Severus asked.

"Well...I may have mentioned to Kingsley...merely in passing, of course...that being at home would be better for any possible hope of rehabilitation for Lucius than a dark, dank, depressing cell in the middle of the sea, especially if he could be around his family, and have a limit of fifty yards outside for his comfort."

"Why, Miss Granger...how positively Slytherin of you." Severus smirked.

"I do have some Slytherin tendencies from time to time." she said, returning his smirk. "Seriously, I just believe that if someone can be rehabilitated, then we should try, not just lock them in a cell and throw away the key."

"Very true." he nodded.

"This way, he gets to be around Narcissa, and I know she's changed, considering she's reconnected with Andromeda. So, maybe between her and Draco, eventually, Lucius Malfoy will be a decent human being." Hermione shrugged. "He's still banned from having a wand, though." she added.

"How magnanimous of you, Hermione." Severus said. "Tell me, though, do you treat all your former enemies that way, or just special cases?"

"Severus, I try to treat everyone...deserving or not...with kindness. Until they prove undeserving, that is." she said.

"And am I deserving of your kindness?" he asked, eyeing her.

"You sure as hell wouldn't be sitting in my living room if you weren't." she replied, looking him dead in the eye.

Severus said nothing, just raised his nearly empty cup in her direction as a salute.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I don't own Harry Potter. I dreamt I did once, but then JK Rowling apparated in and flicked me in the forehead, which was followed by my alarm clock waking me up.**

 **Oh...hey. First off - thank you very much for reviewing, for following, or for adding to your favorites. So glad so many of you are enjoying this. Secondly - I'm so sorry about the wait. This chapter was being a pain to get written. I wanted to get it just right, and my muse wasn't cooperating. But, I finally sat down and decided to get this chapter finished if it killed me. I'm pretty happy with it, but your opinions matter more.**

 **I might go back through later and edit this some more, IDK. We'll see.**

 **I don't know why, but I always imagined Molly taking photos of the trio after the end of each year. You know, they get off the train, and she's there, forcing them to pose for photos. Just something to keep in mind when you get to the second section of this chapter. :)**

 **Alright - enough of me. Go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

"I see you subscribe to _Pozione Mensile_." Severus said, nodding at the new issue of the Italian version of the _Potion's Monthly_ magazine on the coffee table. "Impressive."

Hermione flushed a bit, shrugging. "I actually subscribe to quite a few, to be honest. The international versions are just...different than the English one."

"Oh?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. "And which versions would those be?"

"Well, I get the Italian, French, and Greek versions." she said. "I know it's a bit of an overkill, getting four issues of the same magazine, but they're not the same at all, which is why I get the other three."

"If you are as interested in potions as I am, I assure you, it is not overkill." Severus said. "Especially considering the time and energy to apply translation charms." he added, somewhat impressed.

"Yes, but I don't need the charms." Hermione said, giving him a smirk to rival his own. "I speak five languages, Severus." she added, chuckling when she caught the slightest widening of his eyes. "Call it a bonus from having parents that traveled a lot when I was younger." she shrugged, turning her head to check on Aiden, who was fast asleep. Getting up, she moved him from his little bouncer to the bassinet she had in the corner, thankfully not waking him.

"Still the know-it-all with the need to show off, I see." Severus said with a glint in his eyes, his slight smile holding no malice in the familiar insult.

Hermione laughed softly, settling back on the sofa, reaching for her teacup. "Well, _Professor_ , just because I'm out of Hogwarts doesn't mean I'm going to stop learning. Which, by the way, is the reason I subscribe to Transfiguration, Charms, and Arithmancy annuals, as well. " she said. "Oh, damn. Would you like some more tea, Severus?" she asked, frowning as she noted her cup was empty.

"I wouldn't say no." he said, handing her his cup. "Thank you."

"I'll just be a few minutes." Hermione smiled.

* * *

While Hermione was in the kitchen, Severus went over to investigate a photo that had caught his eye earlier, hanging on the wall. It was a large collage photo, with all eight images of the same people, in the same position, but seemingly taken decades, and lifetimes, apart.

In each photo, Potter and Weasley were standing on either side of Hermione, like bodyguards. The first photo was obviously from their first year, if the bright smiles on the three fresh faces as they happily waved at the camera was anything to go by. That was followed by those same faces, a bit older, but still smiling in the next photo. The only difference was that Potter and Weasley were standing a little more closely to Hermione.

 _'Hmmm...obviously taken after their second year.'_ Severus thought, tilting his head a bit. He remembered their second year quite vividly. After all, it wasn't every year that students got petrified by a giant creature who lurked in the walls. Besides, it was only when Hermione ended up in the same petrified state as the other victims that Severus sped up his efforts to undo the damage. He knew that Potter would likely have to be the one to solve that crisis, Weasley by his side, and he also knew, just as everyone else in Hogwarts, just how they depended on Hermione's brilliance to help.

The next two photos showed them, again looking happy, but the smiles were becoming more and more forced with each one. Especially the next one that Severus examined. If one were to glance at it in passing, it would look no different from the others. But it was different, in a big, if not conspicuous, way. It was _very_ apparent that Potter and Weasley, ever in their same positions, were holding Hermione up. This time, instead of merely standing by her side, Potter's right and Weasley's left arms were around her waist, with her arms around their shoulders. Hermione was pale, and the sparkle her eyes held in the previous photos was gone, replaced with a faraway look instead. Potter and Weasley, as well, looked equally haunted.

 _'Just after their skirmish at the Ministry.'_ he thought, frowning. _'When she nearly died. Again. And Black did die.'_

The next photo was painful for Severus to see. It was obvious from their faces, as well as the dark robes in place of regular clothes, like all the other photos, that it was taken following Dumbledore's funeral. Each of them, firmly in their teens, were wearing tight smiles and the looks in their eyes showed no happiness at all. Instead, all three were sporting unshed tears, the pain of Dumbledore's loss evident on their faces.

The next photo was obviously taken at the elder Weasley son's wedding, as the trio were dressed in their best dress robes, once again wearing bright smiles upon their faces, all three having a reason to celebrate and be happy for once.

It was the final photo, however, the biggest one in the middle of the frame, that really captured his attention. Captured in black and white, it was, unlike all the others, a still muggle photograph. While it was unmoving physically, it was very moving to Severus.

Huddled in a circle, Potter in the center this time, the three teens stood. Their arms were once again around each other, supporting one another. Taken in the courtyard, all three stared down at the space that Severus had learned was the exact spot the Dark Lord fell. Dirt, blood, and dried tears were evident on their battle-worn faces, even though there was no color in the photograph. Their clothes were dirty, and torn in places, and all three's hair looked as if they had withstood a windstorm.

Comparing it to the first photograph, it was a striking difference. Whereas the first photo featured innocent children who were unaware of the lurking dangers ahead, the last photo was of three battle hardened warriors, who knew all too well the horrors the world could bring.

And it reminded him of why he originally came here.

* * *

"Here we are,' Hermione announced quietly as she re-entered the living room, 'freshly brewed tea. I hope Chamomile is alright, though. In all the mess of the last few weeks, I've forgotten to re-stock my supply." she said, handing him his cup.

"Chamomile is fine, Hermione, thank you." Severus said, nodding. Silence once again enveloped the two as they sat, quietly sipping their tea. Holding his cup balanced on his knee, Severus gently cleared his throat, getting Hermione's attention. "There was actually a specific reason I came over, Hermione."

"Oh?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in inquiry.

"There are...numerous things I wanted to say, but first, and foremost, Hermione, I owe you an apology." he started, looking down at his cup. "From the moment you stepped foot into Hogwarts..."

"Stop."

Severus stopped talking, raising his eyes to Hermione. She wasn't looking at him, and her command was practically whispered, but he heard her loud and clear.

"Don't apologize, Severus. You don't owe me an apology." she said, shaking her head, staring down at her own cup. "For anything." she added, lifting her eyes to his.

"This is where you and I have vastly differing opinions, Hermione." Severus said. "I do, in fact, owe you an apology. Several of them, if I'm correct."

"Severus, I have a list of people who owe me an apology, and I assure you, you're nowhere near it." she said, firmly.

"Hermione, I think..."

"Shut it, would you?" she interrupted, giving him a hard stare. "It's obvious we're gonna go round and round on this, but I'm right. But, perhaps you'll let me explain why you don't need to apologize?"

"Very well." he said, nodding his head. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he was interested in hearing her reasons about why he didn't need to apologize when he knew that he did.

"Look," she sighed, setting her cup on the table in front of her, "I'm going to tell you something that not even Harry or Ron know." she said. "After the war was over, I had horrible, _horrible_ nightmares. As I'm sure many others did. I mean, you spend any amount of time with Bellatrix being 'interrogated', and you're bound to have nightmares. At first, I took a steady dose of _Dreamless Sleep_ to keep them away. But, after a little over a month, I realized that I was becoming addicted to it. I mean, I had all the symptoms of being addicted, so I immediately stopped. I knew I had no other choice, really. I couldn't even take a nap without taking a partial dose."

"Good choice." Severus said when she stopped for a sip of her tea. "I've seen many people become addicted to that. It's...nasty. Just like with muggle drugs, once you've gone too far with the addiction, it's difficult to stop." he said. "Not impossible, mind, but difficult."

"Yeah. I know a few people who took it too far, too." Hermione said softly, nodding. "Anyway, I needed something to replace it, so I started keeping my mind distracted, keep it occupied so she wouldn't have the chance to show up. So, I started replaying scenes from my time at Hogwarts over and over in my head, analyzing things. It was mostly things like 'Oh, could I have done this, or this, differently?', or 'If I had done this, would this still have happened?'. Most of the time, the answers were no, by the way." she said, shrugging. "But, then...then I started thinking about you." she said, looking at him.

"Me?" he asked, a bit shocked.

Hermione nodded, letting out a little laugh. "Yeah, you." she answered. "I always wondered what it was about me that you seemed to have a particular...distaste, if you will...for. And, I wondered that until the day Harry told me...in secret, of course, and not Ron, by the way, who's a bit of a blabbermouth...about your memories, your past."

"I see." Severus said, shifting a bit.

"Don't worry, Severus, I didn't see them, Harry just told me what he found out." Hermione said, shrugging again. She wasn't trying to make him uncomfortable, but it seemed she was. Or, the way he was shifting in his seat indicated he was, at least. "Anyway, before that, I thought I'd figured out why you didn't like me when all the other teacher's seemed to adore me. I was for sure it was because you were the Head of Slytherin, and all Slytherin's found me to be beneath them because I'm a Muggle-born."

"I assure you, Hermione, that had _nothing_ to do with it!" he hissed, feeling insulted. He had, despite being a Death Eater, never considered blood status to be of any importance to a person.

Hermione waved off his statement, shaking her head. "No, no. I know that now, Severus. But, back then, when I was twelve, thirteen, maybe, I thought the world was black and white. Everything and everyone fell on a side of this invisible line. Black-white. Good-evil. Right-wrong. Pureblood-Mudblood." she said.

" _Don't_ use that word." he said.

"Like I said, that was before. Then, I thought I had it figured out when we were on the run." Hermione said, ignoring his interruption.

"Oh?"

"I had a lot of time to think during that time." she shrugged. "And, I thought that it was because of my association with Harry. I mean, if you look at your treatment of him during Hogwarts, it's not exactly hard to see the animosity there. I even set you on fire once because of it." she said, smirking at him.

"That was _you!?_ " he hissed again, fire igniting behind his dark eyes. "You cost me a set of robes worth over one hundred galleons!"

"Sue me. I thought you were jinxing my friend, and I had to do something to stop you. Fire was the first thing I thought of." she said, shrugging. "Except for that girlish screech I heard you let out, you didn't get hurt." she added, chuckling a bit.

Severus huffed, crossing his arms. That was, despite all he'd been through, one of his more embarrassing memories. At the time, he thought he'd just randomly burst into flames, and instead of acting like the calm, aloof Professor he'd crafted himself into, he had panicked, letting out a high-pitched yelp.

 _'Not one of my finer moments.'_ he thought, mentally grimacing.

"Anyway," she said, rolling her eyes, "the more I thought about it, the more I thought that that wasn't right. You were fairly...well, I won't say friendly, but civil, perhaps...toward the twins, and Harry was...is...one of their biggest investors."

"The Weasley twins were always good for a laugh." he said. "Especially that last year and their near-constant torment of Dolores." he smirked.

"Yes...well." she said, clearing her throat. The pink toad wasn't a subject she wanted to talk about at that moment. "That same night Harry had told me what he saw in the pensieve, it all kind of clicked for me one night. During one of my late nights, I was pacing the living room at the Burrow, and I found an old newspaper that had declared you the new Headmaster, and I just...froze. And, in that moment...that single moment...it all just came together."

"What did?" Severus asked.

"Everything." Hermione said softly. "I still feel like a complete idiot for not understanding sooner."

"Understanding what?" he asked again, genuinely curious as to her conclusion.

"You were Head of Slytherin, which, if you're being honest about it, is comprised mostly of Death Eaters." she said. "I don't just mean this generation, either. It's a fact that most of the Death Eaters have been former Slytherin's, with a few exceptions."

"True." he agreed, nodding. "The LeStrange's, the Malfoy's, the Parkinson's, the majority of the Black's, myself."

"Yes, but they're different. You went to school with most of them, you didn't teach them." she said. "But then, their children come to Hogwarts. And if the whole Death Eater 'organization', if you will, was full of former Slytherin's who all wanted to be Voldemort's right hand man, so to speak, than I'm sure there was a lot of blackmailing, politics, and not caring who they stepped on to get to the top."

"Indeed."

"And so, being the Head of Slytherin, and being in charge of your comrade's children, I'm sure that most of them were ordered to report your activities back to their parents. Normally, I'm sure there wasn't anything really to report, even during Voldemort's absence." she said. "But, then,', she sighed, 'you have the unfortunate pleasure of me entering your classroom. And being in the same year as Draco, and Pansy, and Crabbe, and Goyle, all of whom are reporting back to their parents your every move, it spelled disaster right from the start. I was a Gryffindor, I'm Harry's best friend, and I'm a Muggleborn. There was never any chance of you being even polite to me back then."

"You're correct, Hermione." Severus nodded.

"I know." she said simply. "Then, I remembered some of the insults you'd hurl at me during class. And I noticed that when you could get away with it, you'd hide a compliment in the actual insult." she said. "So, you see, Severus, we're good. I get it, and I'm not holding any grudges." she said. "Against you, anyway." she added.

"I'm thankful for that, Hermione." he said.

Hermione smiled at him, raising her teacup in salute. "To the future."

"To the future."

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **'Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I think it should be obvious by now that I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews, for following, or for adding to your favorites. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying this. :)**

 **I wanted to update a few days ago, but I got about halfway through this, and got blocked. But, I finally got past it, and here we are!**

 **Also, feel free to follow me on Instagram - Onyx Colton - or on Facebook - also Onyx Colton.**

 **Alrighty. Go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

 **WARNINGS: Mentions of character death, mentions of violence. *** Oh, and a couple mentions of Umbridge, but nothing major. ;)**

* * *

Not long after her talk with Severus, Aiden began wailing from his bassinet, making Hermione sigh. It hadn't been that long since she put him down to sleep.

"I should go, then you'll be able to put him to sleep properly." Severus said, setting his cup on the coffee table. "I'm sure he'd prefer his crib to that bassinet."

"Oh, it's not you, Severus. I already put him to sleep proper earlier." she said, picking Aiden up and cradling him against her chest, rubbing his back as she swayed side to side. "He's just been a bit fussy lately, is all." she commented, a sad smile crossing her face.

"Oh?" Severus asked, raising his eyebrow in curiosity. "Is young Mister Granger ill?" he asked.

"No, no, Aiden's fine." she said, shaking her head. "I think he's just missing Mum."

"I see." he nodded. "Is your mother...away? On holiday, perhaps?" he wondered.

"No." Hermione sighed. "It's being announced in the _Prophet_ tomorrow, but you may as well know now." she said. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes in hopes of preventing the on-coming tears, and said softly, "My...Our parents died recently, Severus. They were killed, along with a few others, in a plane crash on their way home from a dental conference." Even though she tried, she felt a few tears escaping, making their way down her cheeks.

"Miss Gran...Hermione, I am sorry. I meant no upset." he said, feeling a bit awkward. He had never done well dealing with crying witches, not even when he was Head of Slytherin. On the rare occasion he had to deal with an upset student, he would take a page out of Albus' book and administer a calming draught. The only difference was he put it in a cup of tea instead of a lemon drop.

"No, I know you didn't, but it's still difficult." she said, sniffling. "But, thanks for not just giving me a pitying look like Gin does, or awkwardly trying to change the subject like Harry and Dean have been doing." she said, chuckling a bit. "And especially for not just giving me a pat on the head like Ron's been doing." she added.

Severus had absolutely no need for pity; in his opinion it was a wasted feeling. You had nothing to gain from pitying someone except sadness on your part. But, to know that this woman - for that's what she was now - was orphaned, and now had the responsibility of raising her infant brother, along with keeping her miscreant friends from wrecking their lives, all the while dealing with her own grief, had him feeling a degree of pity for her.

And he didn't care for it.

"Yes, well...I should be going." Severus said, clearing his throat. "I truly didn't mean to take up so much of your time, and I still have a bit of unpacking to do." he said, standing.

"Oh, it's fine, Severus." Hermione said, slowing her swaying as Aiden calmed, one of his tiny fists wrapped in her shirt as he stared at Severus. "It was nice to see you again. Really." she smiled. "I should be the one apologizing for keeping you. I just hope you don't have too far to go."

"I...no, I don't. I moved into the flat just over there." he said, nodding toward her balcony. "In the east side of the O." he smirked, referring to the shape of the building.

Hermione laughed softly, not wanting to disturb Aiden. That was how she referred to the building, as well.

"Oh, you must be the one who bought Angie's old place." she said, smiling.

"Angie?" he asked, curiously.

"Angelina Johnson." Hermione clarified. "Gryffindor, two years ahead of me, dark skin, dark hair, Captain of the Quidditch team." she said, giving him a brief description of Angelina. "Hung around with the Weasley twins." she added when she saw no recognition on his face.

"Ah." Severus nodded, finally remembering. "I vaguely remember her now." he said. "May I ask why Miss Johnson moved?"

"She's moved in with George in the flat above the shop." she said.

"And how loud did Molly's yelling get when she was informed of that?" he asked, smirking. "I can't imagine she was overly happy with her son living with a woman without being married."

Hermione giggled lightly at that. "Molly's thrilled to bits, believe it or not." she said, earning herself a raised eyebrow. "Which was a bit...disconcerting at first, you might say. I mean, she wouldn't have approved with anyone else. She practically hit the roof when she found out that Ginny was planning on moving in with Dean before the wedding." she said. "But, George," she sighed, "George is a special case. He's fine most of the time, but then, every once in a while, he gets in this deep funk, and it's nearly impossible to pull him out of it. Angie...well, she's the only one who can really help when he gets that way."

"I imagine it is tough, losing his twin." Severus said, nodding somberly.

"It's been difficult for George, yes. But, on the positive side, he's gotten better at talking about Fred. Just after it happened, he wouldn't even say Fred's name. He'd just say 'my twin', but never by name." Hermione said.

"I'm glad to hear that." Severus said honestly. "He is, in fact, on my list of people to visit and apologize to."

Hermione frowned, wondering why Severus would need to apologize to George, until it hit her. "Ah, right...the ear." she nodded. "If it helps, George actually doesn't mind the ear. He says it's the one thing that makes him know he's looking at himself in the mirror, and not Fred." she added, hoping to assuage his guilt even a little bit.

"Well...I still would like to deliver my apologies to Mister Weasley. You said he's still in the flat above the shop just up the Alley?" he asked. At her nod he said, "Perhaps I'll visit soon, then."

"I think he'd like that." she said. "When you go, though, make sure to go through the shop. George keeps the main entrance to the flat around back booby-trapped." she smiled.

"Thank you, Hermione." Severus said, nodding. "I'll be sure to remember that". Turning, he made his way to the door, knowing he should be going, but not exactly wanting to leave.

"Sure." she said, following him to the door. "And, listen...if you ever need anything, just drop by." she said as he stepped into the hallway.

"I will, and would extend the same courtesy to you." he said, nodding.

"I'll keep that in mind." Hermione said.

"Goodnight, Hermione." Severus said. "Young Mister Granger." he said, turning his attention to Aiden.

"Goodnight, Severus." she said in return, gently closing the door with one hand, holding Aiden tightly to her with the other. Moving him so she was cradling him, she was surprised to see his eyes open, still wide awake if finally calmed down. Sighing softly, she walked into the kitchen, and with a wave of her wand, had one of his bottles ready and heated in just seconds. Stowing her wand back up her sleeve, she grabbed the bottle and carried Aiden back to his nursery, resettling herself in the padded rocking chair.

"Okay, little love, let's try this again, hmmm?" she asked, lifting the bottle to his mouth. Hermione smiled as Aiden eagerly began sucking down the liquid. "There you go. Yeah, that's nice, isn't it?" she chuckled. "You keep eating like this and you'll be my big boy in no time, won't you? Yes, you will." she cooed.

Aiden said nothing, not that she was expecting him to. Instead, as he sucked down his formula, he just stared up at her, watching her.

"Now, let me think. I know there was a song Mum used to sing 'Que Sera Sera' for you, but I don't think I'd be able to get through that." Hermione said, smiling a bit at her brother. "But, there is a song I somewhat remember Nana used to rock me to sleep with. She wasn't much of a singer, Nana, but she tried." she smiled. "How did it go?" she wondered. "Oh, right. Okay, here we go." she said, beginning to softly sing 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square' as she slowly rocked.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in his flat, Severus was sitting on his newly bought and delivered sofa, thinking back over the last few hours. It had been illuminating, to say the least. In more ways than one.

Despite the harsh treatment of her at his hands, Hermione held no ill will toward him. None at all. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. Not even a little iota of hatred ran through her toward him. And for Severus, that was absolutely...freeing. All the wrongs he had committed toward her, all the words spoken in anger, all the sneers and looks of disapproval sent her way, the weight he carried from belittling her intelligence had vanished after one conversation. In the span on one conversation, in just about two hours, his guilt over his treatment of her had disappeared.

While feeling lighter in terms of his guilt toward her, he was also glad he could breathe easier knowing she wasn't going to show up one day for revenge. He knew very little about Hermione's personality, and her character, but the one thing he _did_ know was that Hermione Granger had a reputation for being vicious once you were on her bad side. There was very little about the Golden Trio that Albus didn't know, and he enjoyed telling tales of the three's hijinks in the staff room. That was how, in her third year, word had gotten around about her slugging Draco Malfoy. Although he didn't know the exact reason, Severus couldn't blame her. When he was younger, his godson was a right pain in the arse, and he was sorely tempted to award Hermione points when he saw the bruise.

In her fourth year, she got a bit more vengeful, however. Thanks to Rita Skeeter, and her articles describing the so-called love triangle between Hermione, Potter, and Viktor Krum, Hermione had been on the receiving end of some awful mail, getting everything from howlers to undiluted bubotuber pus that spilled out all over her hands, blistering them. Once she knew how Rita was getting her information, she - very luckily - found her in her animagus form - a beetle - and kept her in a jar for the entire summer, only letting her out after blackmailing the so-called 'journalist'.

Then, in her fifth year, on the night the trio and friends found themselves at the Ministry in the fight of their lives, Hermione had lured Dolores Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest, with the intent of handing her over to Grawp, Hagrid's giant half-brother. Of course, that went _extremely_ south when the centaur's unexpectedly showed up and carried her away, something that didn't bother anyone too much. Severus knew that Hermione, in particular, hadn't been bothered. He had to visit her in the infirmary to get a better idea of her injuries in order to consult with Poppy about the potions she would need to take, and had seen her sitting up in her bed, staring at the lump that was Umbridge in a bed at the other end of the infirmary, a vicious gleam in her eye.

Nobody could fault her for that, though. It was a general consensus around Hogwarts that Umbridge got exactly what she deserved.

In sixth year, he had tried to smother the laughter that erupted when, after one of the staff meetings, Poppy had mentioned that the youngest male Weasley, Ronald, had been in to see her, wanting her to treat the marks on his hands that, he confided in the Healer, came from Hermione and her flock of canaries in a fit of anger. Severus knew not what _actually_ started it, but he had no doubt that Weasley learned that night that _hell hath no fury like a woman scorned_.

There were a few other exploits he had gotten word of, including a few of her mid-battle attacks that Minerva had boasted about during one of her visits, that made him eternally grateful that he was now on her good side.

With a tired sigh, he wandlessly warded his flat, turned out the lights, and headed to bed. It had been a long day, and a long evening, leaving him exhausted.

* * *

After two rounds of 'Nightingale', his bottle, a rather loud burp, and a change of jammies, Hermione was relieved to see Aiden had finally gone to sleep. Lying him in his crib, she covered him with his little white blanket, and left him to sleep. Closing the door, she cast a reverse silencing charm on his room, keeping all noise out, but allowing her to hear him if he cried. She was much too tired to go all the way into the living room and grab the monitor, and walk all the way back down the hall to her room.

It was funny how far away things seemed when you were exhausted, really.

Going into her room, she couldn't be bothered with comfort, and just climbed into her bed, where she was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **The song Hermione sang to Aiden is '** **A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square' by Vera Lynn.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: I don't own Harry Potter. It's JK's world, I'm just playing here for a while.**

 **Uh...hello again. I'm sorry it's been so long, truly, but to be honest, I just haven't felt like writing anything. It's been a lousy couple of months for me, everyone, and I'm sorry you've all been waiting so long for this. But, I'm back, and hoping my creative juice sticks around a while. I'm super behind on all of my stories.**

 **Alright. Go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Hermione's bedroom - Hermione's flat - Diagon Alley**_

 _There was noise, chaos, and destruction everywhere she looked. The smell of death hung in the air, coming from the roaring fire Harry and Ron were piling bodies onto. As a Death Eater tried to run for his life, a larger-than-life Crookshanks sent him soaring back from his post in the eerily still Whomping Willow. As the man went flying, Harry deftly caught him, grabbing his robe and throwing him onto the fire, the man's screams filling the air._

 _A baby's cry caught her attention, and as she turned to find the source, she saw a tearful Aiden sitting in the courtyard, a gutted and burning Greyback lying next to him._

 _'Hermione! Get the baby!'_

 _On the other side of Greyback's burning corpse sat her parents, each on a camping stool, using the fire to roast marshmallows._

 _'Hermione! Grab Aiden before he reaches for another marshmallow,' her mother called, pointing toward Aiden._

 _'Yeah, the little bugger's already had five!' her father growled, pulling a blackened marshmallow out of the fire. 'I thought you were supposed to be watching him?'_

 _'Wha...I don't understand,' Hermione frowned, rooted in place at the sight of her parents. 'You can't be here. You're muggles,' she added, shaking her head in confusion._

 _'Hermione Jean! Aiden's your responsibility now! Grab him, dammit!' her mother roared, her hair beginning to move and hiss, suddenly resembling Medusa's head of snakes._

 _'But...you...you died,' Hermione stammered, tilting her head. 'You can't be here.'_

 _'Hermione, for the love of god, grab the baby!' her father shouted as the two rose from the chairs they'd been sitting in._

 _Movement from behind them caught her eye, and she yelled out to her parents, 'Move!', but it was too late. Molly Weasley had cast the_ Avada Kedavra _on the both of them, giving Hermione a nasty smirk as her parent's bodies fell to the ground, immediately being enveloped by the fire from Greyback._

 _'Nooooooooo!' Hermione screamed, staring in shock at the burning bodies._

 _'You're one of us now, Hermione. You owe the Weasley family everything,' she sneered, stepping around the buring bodies. 'And, we'll start with this thing,' she said, picking Aiden up by his left arm, letting him dangle as he screamed in fear._

 _'Give me my brother, Molly!' she yelled, walking toward the Weasley matriarch, her shock turning to anger in an instant._

 _Molly started walking backward, still dangling Aiden by his arm. 'No, I won't! He's an abomination, just like you, and we'll be taking him for payment. After everything we've done for you, you owe us, you filthy mudblood!'_

 _Hermione stopped, feeling a pain in her chest at those words coming from Molly's mouth. As she stood, devastated, Molly turned and began walking out of the courtyard with Aiden._

 _'Oh, no you don't!' Hermione yelled, taking off running after the two. Spinning around, Molly lost her grip on Aiden, and he fell to the ground, rolling off to the side. Hermione took that as her chance, throwing herself at Molly, taking them both to the ground._

 _'You can't have him! He's my brother, and he's coming home with me!' she yelled in Molly's face._

 _'Oh, yeah? And how are you going to raise him, you filthy mud...' Molly spat, being cut off when Hermione punched her in the face._

 _'I'll manage just fine on my own, you overprotective bitch!' Hermione yelled, giving her another punch._

 _Blood pouring from her nose and mouth, Molly began cackling, her features morphing as she did. Suddenly, Hermione wasn't attacking Molly Weasley, but Bellatrix Lestrange._

 _'Boo!' Bellatrix yelled, throwing Hermione off her and sitting up. 'I'm baaaacccckkk, mudblood. Did you miss me?' she asked, her cackling following Hermione as she grabbed Aiden and began running._

* * *

Hermione sat up in her bed, sweating, panting and shaking like a leaf.

"What the hell was _that_?" she asked herself, pressing a hand to her chest, her heart pounding a mile a minute underneath.

For Hermione, that dream was mild in comparison to some of the others she'd had since the war ended. Of course, this one had went in a whole other direction, though, as it was the first time her parents had appeared in one of her war dreams. Not one of her scarier dreams, but still disorienting.

"It wasn't real, Hermione. Molly's never once said that word in reference to you, and Bellatrix is dead. Kingsley made sure of that. And, remember, Daddy hated marshmallows, so he'd never be using Greyback to roast them," she said out loud, trying to calm herself. "It wasn't real, it wasn't real, it wasn't real."

Just as her heart went back to a normal rhythm, and she got her breathing under control, the cries of Aiden rang out through the monitor on her bedside table. Throwing back the blanket, Hermione walked into the nursery, smiling as her brother came into view, her dream nearly instantly forgotten.

"Good morning, my love," she said, picking him up from the crib. "I think you're getting better at this whole sleeping thing. You only woke me up once last night," she cooed, smiling down at him. "Now, let's get you into a new nappy, and then we'll go have breakfast."

* * *

 _ **Fortescue's Bistro - Diagon Alley**_

"Are you sure Granger's okay with my being here?" Draco asked as he and Harry waited at Fortescue's for Hermione to show up.

Harry rolled his eyes at his lover's question, as he had asked the same one several times since they woke up that morning.

"Yes, Draco, I'm sure," he answered, grabbing his hand. "Besides, it was Mione's idea for you to come."

"Sorry, love. I'm just nervous," Draco said, bouncing his leg.

"Well, get over it, because here she is," Harry said, standing to greet his best friend. "Hey, Mione!"

Draco had seen Hermione several times since the war ended, but he'd never seen her look so...adult. But now, wearing a pair of camoflauged pants, a fitted white turtleneck, and black boots with a thick heel, her hair – which she had finally tamed – hanging down her back, along with the baby and the baby bag, she looked extremely grown up.

"Hi, guys," Hermione smiled, panting slightly. "Ugh. I forgot how heavy that thing can be with him in it," she laughed, setting the carrier down in one of the chairs across from the two.

"Him?" Draco asked, eyeing the carrier.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, laughing. "I forgot you haven't met Aiden yet." Leaning over, she spun the carrier in the seat, turning Aiden to face them. "Draco, this is my brother, Aiden," she said.

"He's not as...wrinkled...as I thought he'd be," Draco commented, making Harry and Hermione burst out laughing.

"Why didn't you bring the pram, Mione?" Harry asked, leaning over the table to coo at the baby.

"Well, because it's only a little way from my building, and it's kind of a tight squeeze in here, so this was easier, believe it or not," she said, hanging the baby bag on the chair. "I'm gonna go to the loo, could you watch him for me?"

"Sure." Harry smiled.

"Thanks," she said, giving Draco's shoulder a squeeze as she passed by him.

"So, this is mini-Granger, huh?" Draco asked, moving over to what was going to be Hermione's seat. "He's...cute, I guess."

"You guess?" Harry laughed, shaking his head. "Draco, this is the most adorable baby I've ever seen," he said. "Besides Teddy, I mean."

"So...what does he do, exactly?" Draco asked, staring at Aiden.

"What do you mean, love?" Harry asked.

"Well, I've only been around Teddy the few times Auntie Dromeda's brought him around to the Manor, and he wasn't just a lump like this," he said, frowning at the baby. "So, what do they do at this age?"

"Look cute, mainly," Hermione said, coming to stand beside Harry. "And he eats, cries, poops...oh, Merlin, this kid can poop, I tell you.

"Aiden have another bout of vomit-inducing poo, I take it?" Harry asked, trying not to laugh. He'd been witness to a few times Hermione nearly threw up changing one of his nappies.

"Yep," she nodded. "Earlier this morning," she answered, giving Draco a small smile as he moved to allow her to sit. "Thanks."

"Yeah," Draco nodded, reclaiming his seat next to Harry.

"But, I think I'll eventually get used to it. You know, the dirty nappies that make you want to throw up everything you've ever eaten in your life," she said with a shrug.

"Charming," Draco said, looking a bit green. It sent Harry into a round of laughter as that was the moment the waitress chose to come over and take their orders.

"So, Mione," he said, looking back to his best friend once the waitress had gone, "how was it last night?"

"It was fine," she said, shrugging again. "Once I got him to sleep, anyway," she laughed. "But, you'll never guess who came to visit me."

"Who?"

"Professor Snape," she said with a little chuckle as Harry, and Draco's, eyes widened.

"What!?" Harry exclaimed.

"Yeah. He bought Angie's old place, did you know that?" she asked.

"I knew he had left Hogwarts, but not that he had moved into your building," Draco admitted, shaking his head. "Mother's been so excited since he finally stopped teaching."

"Well...I can't exactly say he was suited for it," Harry said. "So...what'd he want?"

"Well, he thanked me for saving his life, for one," Hermione said, pausing as the waitress brought their drinks to the table.

"Thanks," Draco mumbled, trying to ignore the wink she gave him as she set his drink down.

"You're barking!" Harry exclaimed, a wondrous look crossing his face. "Severus Snape, _the Severus Snape_ , thanked you for saving him?"

Hermione nodded, taking a sip of her lemonade. "Yeah. And then, I told him how I did it, and why I did it, and then...well, it got a bit weirder, actually. He...he tried to apologize to me for how he treated me at Hogwarts."

"No!" Harry exclaimed in a shocked whisper.

"Yes. I mean, I didn't let him, because..."

"What!" Harry yelled, which in turn scared Aiden, making him start crying.

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said sarcastically, throwing him a look as she reached over and lifted Aiden into her arms. "Shhh, Aidy. It's just Uncle Harry being silly," she said, trying to calm him.

"Sorry, Mione," Harry said, grimacing. "I didn't mean to scare him."

"Can I try, Granger?" Draco asked. "I mean, I'm good at getting Teddy to stop crying, so..." he trailed off, shrugging.

"If you'd like, sure," she said, handing Aiden to Draco as he came around the table, arms open.

* * *

"He's really good at that," Hermione commented, watching Draco walk a now calm Aiden around Fortescue's.

"Yeah," Harry said, smiling at his lover. "You should see him with Teddy, he's great."

"I imagine," she nodded. "How was your night? Was it perfect like you hoped?" she asked.

"It was...far from perfect, actually, Mione. But, you know...I couldn't have pictured a better first time with him," he said, his face turning a bright red.

Hermione sighed, giving Harry a dopey smile. "That's so sweet," she gushed, feeling happy for her best friend.

Harry coughed, clearing his throat as he tried to stop the silly smile from overtaking his face. "Yeah," he said, shifting in his seat. "Anyway...aside from the Snape weirdness, how was your night? You _did_ get some sleep, right?" he asked, knowing she still wasn't sleeping much.

"I did, Harry, yes," she nodded, not looking him in the eye. "Aiden only woke up once..."

"Mione, I asked about _your_ sleeping, not his," he interrupted. "You had a nightmare, didn't you?"

Hermione sighed again, and told him about the nightmare. "And before you start, I know everything wrong with that dream."

"No," Harry said, frowning, "I was just going to remind you that Kingsley let you see Bellatrix...you know, before _and_ after, not to mention you saw her being disposed of," he added.

"I know, I know," she sighed. "It doesn't help knowing, though," she said, gripping her glass tightly. "I mean...I _know_ she's dead, and I also know that's she lying in several different places in the sea near Azkaban, but it just...it doesn't help, Harry," she said.

"I know, Mione, I know."

"Are you telling me you don't have any nightmares about Voldemort?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"Not nightmares, per se," he said, shaking his head. "Weird dreams, twisted dreams, even, but the actual nightmares have lessened _a lot_ over the past year or so."

"Weird how?" she asked.

"Uh...Voldemort's a giant turtle, and instead of killing him, I capture him and set him free, only for him to be eaten by a whale," he said, chuckling a bit. "That's been one of my favorites, actually," he laughed. He was glad when he heard a little snort of laughter come from across the table, and saw Hermione smiling.

"Okay, yes...that is weird," Hermione nodded, smiling. "That is _very_ weird," she laughed.

"It is, isn't it?" he laughed.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Oh - I know a few of you have been looking for HG/SS recommendations, so if you enjoy a nice, long story that gives you all the feels, I suggest 'Chasing the Sun' by Loten. One of my all - time favorite stories.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I own nothing. Still. Unfortunately.**

 **Thank you all so much for the reviews, follows, and faves.**

 **I am trying to get better at updates, I promise. If I could, I'd have a new chapter every day.**

 **It's Thanksgiving here in the States today, - or yesterday, depending on what time I get this posted, - and one of the things I am thankful and grateful for is all of you. For each one of you who enjoys what I write, even if it's not truly my best. For each of you who even take the time to read my work. For encouraging me to continue writing, and not give up. Even when I _really_ want to. **

**Okay, AN over. Read and enjoy!**

* * *

 **WARNINGS: Language ; Mentions of torture**

* * *

Clad only in his black dressing gown, and holding a large cup of steaming coffee - black, of course, - Severus stood in front of his sliding doors, staring out at the somewhat sunny skies. Despite the clouds, though, he felt almost chipper.

 _Almost_.

He couldn't remember ever actually being chipper, but this was close. Today was the official first full week of his new life. A life filled with...well, whatever he wanted, he supposed. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't dreading the week ahead. No more praying to Merlin for today not to be the day one of the little snots he taught finally blew him up. Or poison themselves. No more late night patrols, hoping to head off potential pregnancies.

No, he didn't miss any of that. And he couldn't envision himself coming to do so in the future.

Now, he could spend his days in peace. He could spend his mornings watching the sun rise, like he was now. He could follow that with work during the day, then fill his evenings doing a bit of research, if he chose. Or, just doing nothing at all. It was entirely up to him for once.

But first, he needed to get his business up and running. Then, and only then, could he decide how to spend his free time. With that thought in mind, he carried his coffee with him into his bedroom, intending to get the day started.

* * *

Half an hour later found Severus surveying his new property. Even though it was a bit run-down, and more than a bit dusty, he saw potential. It just needed a good cleaning and a touch up of paint, and it would be good as new.

Or, as close as it could get, anyway.

Taking a chance, he went to the back room to see if there were any supplies still available. Thankfully, there were a few spare sheets of parchment in one of the drawers of the lone desk in the room, along with a self-inking quill. He didn't know who occupied this building before him, but he was thankful they left a few things behind. Or, he was until the thought crossed his mind that the previous owners had more than likely left in haste, either being captured by Death Eaters who worked for the Ministry, or they had gone on the run in fear of their lives.

 _'Mental note: look into the history of this place.'_ he thought, making his way back to the front.

Sliding his wand out of his jumper sleeve, he cleaned the dust off the counter before lying the parchment down on it. Severus knew he wasn't exactly Da Vinci, but he thought, after looking it over for a moment, that his drawing of the shop floor was pretty good. Once he made up his mind, it was surprising just how easy it was to get it on paper, and in detail, at that. In the past, when he attempted to sketch something free hand, it always came out a bit wonky in some places, giving everything a feeling of being off, but not this time.

He had decided to move the counter he was currently using to the north wall, so it would be easy for any employee to keep an eye on the door. That gave him pause, however, as he hadn't thought that far ahead.

 _'Mental note two: hire employees.'_

Shaking his head, he went back to his sketch. Behind the counter, he planned to have a large version of his logo. Just as soon as he came up with one, anyway. He had a few ideas, but nothing was set in stone. There was going to be a large glass case on the west wall where he planned to display his collection of rare stirring rods. And, of course, with children being in his shop, the glass would be charmed to be unbreakable, as well as charmed to only open for him. After all, a few of his rods were worth well over a thousand galleons, and he didn't want them going the way of sticky fingers.

The floors were going to stay wooden, but with a few coats of varnish they would really shine. Ever since he was younger, Severus had loved hardwood floors. He didn't know what it was about them, but there was just something that attracted him to them. The walls were going to be changed, however, from a pale white to a more calming, sedate color. Maybe a dark shade of green. And, he definitely needed new blinds for the front windows, and perhaps for the door, as well.

 _'Mental note three: is there such a thing as door blinds? Where does one get them?'_

And to think, those were just the changes he had in mind for the shop floor. He couldn't wait to get started on the upstairs, which would be his office, as well as the larger room next to his office that would hold his lab.

 _'Hmmm. There's that chipper feeling again.'_ he thought, creasing his eyebrows. _'Why do I feel this way?'_ he wondered. And suddenly, out of absolutely nowhere, the answer came to him.

 _'Fuck...is this what happiness feels like?'_

* * *

Severus was interrupted from his musings by a knock on the door. Turning, he was pleasantly surprised to see his godson peering in, giving him a wave when Severus met his eyes. Waving his wand, he unlocked the door, beckoning Draco in.

"Hello, Uncle," the blond greeted, smiling at him. Not a small smile, either, like Severus was used to seeing on the boy, but a full fledged smile.

"Hello, Draco," Severus returned, nodding at him. "What brings you by?" Although he was glad to see Draco, he couldn't help but wonder how the young man knew about this place.

"I was just finished having brunch with Harry and Granger, and I was walking toward the Leaky when I saw you through the window," Draco said, not bothered by the dust that was accumulating on his trousers as he leaned against the counter. "So, what is this place?"

"This," Severus said, indicating the shop floor, "is going to be my shop," he said. "I plan on turning this place into an apothecary, actually."

"Nice," Draco nodded. "Diagon Alley could use a new apothecary."

"Indeed," Severus agreed. Turning his head toward his godson, his eyebrow furrowed as he asked, "Did I hear correctly? You had brunch with Potter and Granger?"

Draco nodded, giving his godfather a small smile. "Yes, I did," he answered. "I suppose it hasn't become widely known yet, but...Harry and I are dating."

"I...I had no idea, Draco," Severus said, covering his minor slip of composure. "Congratulations, I suppose, are in order."

Draco laughed, enjoying seeing his godfather try to hold himself together. "Thank you," he said through his chuckles.

"And...Granger?"

"She was the one who invited me to join the two of them for brunch, actually. She's alright," he shrugged. "She brought her baby brother with her, too. He's...well, he's cute, is what he is," he added, definitively.

"Why, Draco, is that a small yearning for a baby I hear in your voice?" Severus teased.

Draco snorted, shaking his head. "Not yet, no. Maybe someday in the future, but not yet. I don't care how many of my friends suddenly have babies."

Severus nodded. He knew how Draco felt, seeing so many of his former students beginning their families. While he was pleased for them, he had no desire to delve into the topic, so he decided to stick to something light. "So, tell me, how was your brunch with two-thirds of the Golden Trio?" Severus asked.

"It was alright," Draco shrugged. "We went to Fortescue's Café, which is nice. I mean, it's not like some of the more upscale restaurants I'm used to, but I liked it."

"I'm sure," Severus nodded. "I personally enjoy the broccoli and cheese soup."

Draco's nose wrinkled. He'd never been a fan of broccoli. "That's what Harry had, and he seemed to enjoy it. I went with the fettuccini alfredo, and Granger...Merlin, Uncle...she's a small witch, but she ate three meatball parmesan sandwiches, and those are...have you ever had one?"

"No, I have not."

"These are huge sandwiches, and she ate three! I mean, not only are they long, but they're filled and just...huge!" Draco exclaimed, his eyes wide. "I haven't spent much time with her, but the more I do, and the more Harry talks about her, the more impressive she is."

"Sounds like Granger's got herself another fan," Severus smirked.

"Well...If I'm honest, I've always been a bit in awe of her, really," Draco said, not making eye contact with Severus. "She comes to this whole other world when she's young, and it's one she's never had any idea about, and just blows everyone away. She knew things about the wizarding world that not even I knew, and I grew up in it!" he exclaimed, shaking his head. "Then, she not only keeps Harry alive for all those years, but she does it while staying at the top of our class, and at the top of the whole of Gryffindor, too. And, to think, that's not even the most impressive thing!"

"Oh?" Severus asked, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Draco leaned toward him over the counter, an intense look suddenly appearing in his eyes. "I watched her, Uncle," he said, quietly but fiercely. "I watched her lie to Bella's face over and over, all the while being tortured by that crazy bitch. Over and over, Bella cast the _Cruciatus_ , and over and over, Granger came out of it and lied to her! Not only did she survive it, she survived it with her mind completely in tact!"

Severus was impressed. "I see," he said, clearing his throat, which suddenly felt tight. "How many rounds, Draco?" he asked, his voice quiet. He had known some of Bellatrix's victim's who had succumbed to insanity after three or four rounds of the _Cruciatus._

"I lost count at thirteen," Draco whispered. "And after that, she was held by Bellatrix with a knife to her throat, and then had a chandelier crush her, and she still survived, Severus. I may not have always liked her, but Granger didn't deserve that. No matter the circumstances, from now on I will _always_ respect her, and admire her."

And on that, Severus was in complete agreement.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **'Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: It should be obvious by now, but I don't own Harry Potter. Trust me, if I did, there would be a giant billboard in every town in the world announcing it. Which there's not.**

 **Happy New Year, dear readers! And welcome to the first update of 2018. I wanted to get this updated before 2017 was up, but between Christmas, and having a bunch of family things going on, I got sick. And I'm not talking about a little tickle in my throat, either. There were things coming out of me you all just wouldn't believe. I was throwing up so hard, I'm pretty sure I threw up things I'd eaten years ago. I'm better now, so I figured I'd get this done and up.**

 **Please read the AN at the bottom. I would appreciate some help. :)**

 **Facebook _/_ Instagram : Onyx Colton -Friend me or follow me. :)**

 **Anyone who guesses the costume Hermione chose will get a shout out in the next update. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"How about this one?" Hermione asked, holding up a small costume. "It's adorable!" she laughed.

"Uh...what is it?" Harry asked, tilting his head.

"It's a ketchup packet," she answered. "Like you get at take-aways," she clarified.

"Huh. I guess," he said. "But, why don't we keep looking," he suggested, turning back to the clothing racks.

Hermione sighed. "Alright," she said, hanging the costume back up. "I'm sorry this is taking so long, Harry. I just...it's Aiden's first Halloween, and I want to get him the best costume I can find," she said, smiling at said baby. Currently, he was lying in his pram, happily sucking away on his binky as he took in the sights.

"I get that, love, I do," he said, smiling gently at her. "And, while I don't mind you helping look, why don't you keep it simple? Get him a lion costume, or a bear, or something like that? I guarantee, Mione, when he's older, he won't remember wearing a costume, and right now, he won't care what you dress him up as. Just keep it simple, like I said."

"Yeah, alright," she said, grimacing at the ketchup costume.

"How about this?" Harry asked, holding up a yellow outfit.

Hermione shook her head. "Nice try, but I think I'll pass on Winnie the Pooh, Harry."

"Eh, it was worth a shot," he shrugged, hanging it up.

"Oh! Oh, oh, oh!" Hermione chanted a few minutes later, struggling to pull a costume off the rack. Someone had obviously looked at it earlier, as it was hanging backwards compared to all the others, making it hard to get down. "I think...I think I found one...if I could just...get the damn thing...down!" she huffed, finally succeeding at pulling it free from the cramped rack. "Aha! Here we go," she exclaimed, holding it up for Harry to see.

"Yep, that's the one," Harry nodded, smiling.

"Look, sweetie, I found your Halloween costume," she cooed to Aiden, hanging it off the handle of the pram.

Harry laughed as he followed her down the aisles, feeling happier than he'd remembered being for a while. After all Hermione had been through recently, he was glad that she seemed more and more like her old self with every passing day. Even her unbelievable appetite was coming back, which he was thankful for.

* * *

"Floo me if you need anything, Mione," Harry said as the two parted ways. After their shopping excursion to muggle London, which had gained Aiden a few new outfits in addition to his costume, as well as a few things for Harry, the three had stopped by the Leaky Cauldron, where Hermione sprung for an early dinner. It had been Hermione's way of paying him back for grabbing the pram from her flat, then spending several hours shopping for baby stuff.

"I will," she said, tucking a blanket around Aiden in preparation for the walk home. The weather was starting to get chilly, and she didn't want to risk him catching a cold. "I think we'll be fine, though, Harry."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you will," he nodded. "I just worry about you, Mione."

Hermione smiled, leaning over and giving Harry a hug. "You worry too much, love," she said softly, pulling away. "Hmmm...maybe that's where all the grey's are coming from." she laughed, winking at him as she started to push the pram toward the Diagon Alley entrance.

"Oi!" he exclaimed, reaching up for his hair. "I'll get you back for that, witch!"

"I'm sure you will," Hermione laughed, waving at him without turning around.

Harry laughed, shaking his head. She might not be blood, but Hermione Granger was his sister, and Merlin help him, was he glad she was.

* * *

"Alright, my little love," Hermione cooed, pushing the pram up the middle of Diagon Alley, "when we get home, it's dinner time, bath time, then we'll see about sleepy time. Does that sound fun?" she asked, laughing when Aiden smiled at her, giving her his version of a laugh. "I thought so," she nodded, hoping he understood her.

Entering her building, Hermione started to walk toward the stairs until she realized she'd have to take the lift.

 _'Duh, Hermione. Like you could carry a filled pram up four flights of stairs,'_ she thought, snorting to herself as she waited for the lift doors to open. It was times like this, when she was absolutely bogged down with things, that she was glad the man who built this building was a muggle-born like herself. She was all for using the stairs to get a bit of exercise, but the lift was a godsend at times like this.

"Okay, Aiden, almost home," she said, stepping into the lift and pushing the button. As the lift started the journey to her floor, she leaned against one wall and sighed. She couldn't wait to get home and kick off her shoes and change into some comfy clothes. As much as she adored the boots she was wearing, as well as the rest of her outfit, she preferred her Gryffindor sweats and one of her old, worn tees.

As soon as the lift doors opened on her floor, she quickly pushed the pram to her door and undid the wards, redoing them after she entered, as well as locking the deadbolt for good measure.

"Alright, kid, let's go," she said, picking Aiden up and carrying him to the bathroom, deciding to give him a bath before dinner. Entering the bathroom, she waved her wand and levitated his little baby bath seat into the sink and got the water running while she laid him on the counter and undressed him, tickling him and cooing at him as she did. Once she got him undressed, she gently laid him in his seat, laughing as he kicked his feet in delight at the feel of the warm water.

"Yeah, you like that, huh?" she laughed, getting started.

Just as she got the baby wash on the washcloth, she heard the floo ring out, signaling a visitor.

"Mione? You here?" Ron's voice called.

"Back here, Ron!" she yelled, not looking away from Aiden as she lathered him up.

"Hey, Mione, little man," he greeted, leaning against the wall in the door.

"What brings you by, Ron?" she asked, glancing at him. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, I mean."

Ron shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted to drop by, see how you two are doing," he said, suddenly finding the floor interesting. "Can't I do that?"

"Of course you can, you know that. It's not like you have to schedule an appointment or anything," Hermione said, chuckling. "What's up?" she asked.

"You remember how I told you that Ella was pregnant?" he asked.

"Yeah. Did you go talk to her like I suggested?" she asked, focusing on washing Aiden's hair without getting it in his eyes.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"And?" she asked. "Did you guys get things worked out, or...what?"

"Well, she did," Ron grumbled. "It's not my problem anymore," he answered so she could hear.

"What?" Hermione asked. "Do you mean she doesn't want your help with the baby, or...oh! Oh, no. She didn't...lose it, did she?" she asked in alarm.

Ron shook his head. "Nah, she didn't lose it," he said. "It, uh...it turns out that she's around three months pregnant, and, uh...we weren't together three months ago. That was during one of our 'off' times, actually," he said.

"Oh, Ron," Hermione said sadly, quickly catching what he was saying. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Turns out the father is this other guy she'd been fooling around with. They, um...they're gonna get married, raise the baby together," he said, choking up at the end.

Hermione wished she was free at the moment, because all she wanted to do was give her best friend a hug. She had seen Ron go through many things, and besides losing Fred, she had never seen him looking as lost as he did right then.

Picking Aiden up from his bath seat, she wrapped him in one of his hooded towels, smiling at how adorable he looked. Turning toward Ron, she tilted her head. "How about you wait for me in the kitchen while I get Aiden put to bed, and we'll sit and talk," she suggested. "I have some of that muggle beer you like so much, and I could throw some snacks together?"

Ron nodded, backing out of her way. "Sounds nice, Mione. Thanks," he said, giving her a small smile.

"No problem," she said, patting his arm as she passed.

Once she got into Aiden's nursery, she went over to his changing table, lying him on top. It was quite a handy thing to have, she often thought, with the three small drawers on the top row holding smaller things she might need, like nappies and extra clothes, and the four larger drawers on the bottom holding his blankets and extra pads for the top of the table.

Opening one of the drawers on top, she withdrew a clean nappy, a binkie, and a fresh set of pajamas for him and got to work. Once she had him dressed, she realized she forgot to make him a bottle, so she put him in his crib.

"Alright. Hang on a moment while Sissy goes to get your dinner," she said, kissing his cheek.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ron was in the kitchen, getting a head start on the beer Hermione had told him about. It might only be half six, but he needed something to take the edge off, and he knew Hermione didn't keep the strong stuff he was in need of...or want of, rather,...so he settled for beer.

He was trying not to get too depressed, nor too mopey, but it was hard. After all, once the shock wore off, and the fear, and it set in that he had a baby on the way, he'd gotten excited, looking forward to it. He'd been thrilled to think about a little version of him running around, red haired and freckled.

After all, he always envisioned himself with four, maybe five, children of his own in the future. Spending his weekends with his children in his home, teaching them the finer points of chess, or outside, teaching them to ride brooms and play quidditch.

And just when he thought he'd gotten a start on that future...BAM! The rug was pulled out from under him.

He always knew that during their 'off' times Ella had another bloke she saw, but she always told him it wasn't like _that_. She had always sworn there was never anything sexual with the other guy, and he had been the only one she'd been with. He was always unsure if she had told him the truth, but never had proof that she was lying.

 _'Guess I have proof now,'_ he thought bitterly, scowling at his beer bottle.

"Okay, Ron," Hermione said as she entered the kitchen, pulling Ron from his thoughts, "just give me a few minutes to feed Aiden, and then I'm all yours," she said.

"No rush, Mione," he said, shrugging.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Okay, here's what I need help with - I'm looking for a story that I think I read on here a while back. It's a Harry/Hermione story, and the only thing I really remember from it is Harry helping Hermione after she gets out of the dentist. That's all I remember. If anyone knows what this story is, please tell me! It popped in my head the other day, and not knowing what it is has been driving me nuts.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I don't own Harry Potter. Should be obvious by now, but...**

 **Thanks for the reviews, for following, or adding to your favorites. And for your guesses on Aiden's costume, too. A couple of you were close, but no one guessed right. I'm actually a little surprised no one got it. Ah, well...just wait.**

 **Also, in regards to several of you who were worried about Ron and Hermione - I swear there's no romance! I just want to reassure you all that there will not be any 'lovin' between them, only friendship. This story is sailing solely on the _SS Sevmione_. ;)**

 **This chapter is quite long, just FYI. Trying to make up for being gone so long. :)**

 **Alright. Shall we get back into it?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Kitchen - Hermione's flat - Diagon Alley_

"Ron, don't," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Trust me, do not go over there, begging that... _witch_...to take you back. It won't lead to anything but more heartache for you."

"Mione, you don't understand," he said sadly, watching her make a Greek salad. It was her way of getting him to eat a salad every now and then, and it was one of the only kinds Ron would eat.

"Explain it to me, then," she said, pausing in what she was doing and bracing her hands against the counter, giving him her full attention.

"That was supposed to be my future, Mione. My wife, my baby, my...my family, and it's just gone? It's not..."

"What? Fair?" she asked, frowning. "I hate to tell you this, Ron, but life is rarely fair. You create an image of how you think your life is gonna shape up, and you grab onto it, hold onto that image so tightly, trying to make sure that things happen when they're suppose to, how they're suppose to, and with who they're supposed to. And then destiny, or fate, or whatever, comes along, and sets that image on fire and buries the ashes."

"But..."

"Ron," Hermione sighed, interrupting him once again, "I really didn't want to be the one to burst this bubble for you, but there was no way, _absolutely no way_ , you and Ella were ever going to be married. And, even if, Merlin forbid, you did marry her, it wouldn't have been a happy marriage. Hell, you two couldn't go for more than two weeks without having a screaming match. I mean, have you forgotten that time she tore you a new one and then dumped you just because you wore trainers to meet her grandmother?" she asked.

"Well, no," he said, frowning as he remembered. Although, in his defense, he didn't know he'd be meeting her grandmother. Ella had asked him to lunch, and when he showed up, there was the old woman, sitting across from her.

"Right," Hermione nodded. "Face it, sweetie. She's not right for you, especially now that she's...how do I put this...oh, _having another man's baby_!" she finished sternly, staring him down. She didn't want to be mean, but Ron just wasn't getting it.

Ron sighed, absently picking at the label on his beer bottle. He knew she was right, but it was hard to accept.

"Ron, I know this isn't what you want to hear, but maybe don't try to rush things," she said, turning to grab a couple of plates from the cabinet. "I know you. You want the big family with the wife, and lots of little ginger haired kids running around, and a dog named Chudley peeing all over the house."

Ron barked out a laugh at that. Of course his best friend knew him so well to know that would be the dog's name.

"Just...don't be in such a hurry. I know the right girl's out there for you somewhere. You just haven't met her yet. But, when you do, I promise you two things. One," she said, holding up her index finger, "she's not gonna be one of your groupies that follow you around and fawn all over you, and two," she said, popping her middle finger up to join the first, "you'll know instantly."

"You think?" he asked, hating how pathetic he sounded at that moment.

"I know," she smiled. "And you know I'm always right," she said, giving him a cheeky wink as she crumbled some feta cheese over his plate. "And as for your non-baby blues, anytime you want some time with a baby, you can always come here and play with Aiden," she said, putting the plate in front of him. "Besides, I'm sure Bill and Fleur would let you watch Vic when they need a sitter, and don't forget that Andi has an open door policy for us to visit with Teddy."

Ron smiled, feeling much better than he had. With a bit of gusto, he happily dug into his salad, washing down the first couple of bites with the last sips of his beer.

"Now, eat up and I'll show you what I got Aiden for Halloween," she smiled, handing him a fresh beer.

* * *

 _The Burrow - Three days later - Halloween Eve - Early evening_

Knowing Hermione was right in everything she said that day, Ron had made the decision to make some changes to his life. For starters, he wasn't going to mope over Ella anymore. Hermione was right when she said it wouldn't have lasted between them in the long run. She had chosen her path, and was living her life, and now was the time for him to get to living his.

It had been going well so far, too. Ron had erased all traces of Ella from his life, starting with the collection of photos of her he had from what he had referred to as 'the good times'. While he hadn't had the heart to burn the photos, as he originally planned, he had instead boxed them up and stored them away in an empty corner of the attic.

He had also talked to George about his working at the shop. George had been wanting to expand the business, and open a new branch in Hogsmeade. Ron had pointed out that since the shop in Diagon Alley was the original store, and Fred's pride and joy, George should stay at the flagship store and let Ron take the reigns of the new store in Hogsmeade, to which George agreed. So, next week, Ron would be spending his time in the village, searching for the ideal spot for the store.

And he was excited. Maybe making the move to Hogsmeade would be the beginning of something wonderful.

"Oh, Ronald, dear," his mother said, breaking him out of his thoughts, "could you go and tell your father dinner's nearly ready? He's out in the shed," she said, levitating several bowls to the table.

"Sure, Mum," he nodded, heading toward his dad's hobby shed. His mother knew she'd never get him to stop bringing muggle things home from work, so she compromised and gave him the shed to store everything. Even after all these years, and despite being friends with Harry and Hermione, he still didn't understand his fascination with muggle things.

Knocking quietly on the partially opened door, he entered, smiling as he saw his dad fiddling with a little white appliance.

"Ah, Ron," Arthur smiled, waving him over, "isn't this fascinating? I'm not quite sure what is, but I have a feeling I'm getting close," he said, pushing the button to open the door.

"It's called a microwave, Dad. Muggles use it to cook and reheat food," Ron explained, giving him a simple explanation. "You should head to Harry's sometime. He has a black one in his kitchen."

"What a good idea!" Arthur smiled. "Now, what can I help you with?"

Ron shook his head. "Nothing. Mum sent me out to fetch you for dinner," he said.

"Ah, wonderful," Arthur said, closing the door on the microwave, standing from his stool.

Ron smiled as he lead his father up to the house, his stomach rumbling at the smells coming from inside.

"Just in time," Molly smiled as the two entered the kitchen. "I'm just about to put the chicken on the table."

"Looks wonderful as always, dear," Arthur said, taking his seat at the head of the table.

"Thank you, love," Molly smiled, winking at him. As she got seated herself, she heard the floo flare. "Hmmm, I wonder who that could be," she said, getting up.

"There, that wasn't so bad, eh?" Hermione asked, pulling the blanket off Aiden's head. She had learned to do it that way last week, when she floo'd to Harry's, and Aiden had thrown up all over her shirt, but with the blanket over him on the return trip, he was fine.

"Hermione! What a pleasant surprise!" Molly smiled, hugging the young witch. "And baby Aiden, hello," she cooed, smiling wider when Hermione passed him to her. "Aren't you a sight? Oh, what has your sister done to you?" she laughed. Hermione had dressed him like a lion, with a wild mane that stuck up in all directions like Harry's hair, and a dark brown and beige costume.

"We've been in London trick or treating," Hermione laughed, holding up a canvas bag that was filled to the brim, setting it aside before taking off her jacket to reveal her safari costume.

Molly glanced between the two of them, a confused look crossing her face. "Dear, I understand Aiden's costume, but what are you supposed to be?" she asked, wondering about the all khaki costume Hermione wore.

"I'm a zookeeper," Hermione smiled, smoothing her shirt down. "Risking my life to care for this vicious little maneater," she laughed, taking Aiden back into her arms.

Molly laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, Hermione...you're such a card!" she said through her chuckles. "Well, come on through to the kitchen, dears. I just put dinner out," she smiled, leading them into the kitchen. "Maneater, indeed," she laughed to herself.

"Oh," Hermione exclaimed, following the older witch into the kitchen, "I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to intrude," she said, giving Arthur and Ron a sheepish smile.

"Nonsense, Hermione," Arthur said, smiling at the newcomers, "you know you're never intruding."

"Yeah, Mione," Ron said, waving, "you're always welcome here," he laughed.

"Would you like a cuppa, dear?" Molly asked, waving to start the kettle.

"Thanks," she laughed, taking a seat across from Ron, holding Aiden securely on her lap. "That would be great, Molly, thank you."

"Gosh, Mione, I still can't believe you got him into that thing," Ron laughed, making faces at Aiden, who was giggling at the ginger-haired man.

"Well, I was right, wasn't I? He looks adorable," she smiled. "You should see all the candy in the bag I brought with me. People just couldn't wait to give him candy," she laughed. "The bag I brought got filled, even with the expansion charm I added to it."

A white tea cup was placed down in front of her, making her sigh at the sight of steam coming off it. "Thanks, Molly," she smiled, leaning forward a bit to get a good smell of it. "You wouldn't believe how cold it's gotten out there lately," she said, gently picking the cup up, holding it off to the side so she wouldn't accidentally spill any on Aiden if she did spill it.

"Oh, I know," Molly said, placing a napkin in her lap, "I was in Diagon just the other day, and I nearly froze in that wind."

"Indeed," Arthur agreed. "Looks like winter's coming a bit early this year."

* * *

 _Cemetery - Godric's Hollow - Just after two a.m. - Halloween_

Severus was striding slowly through the rows of gravestones, a wave of sadness hitting him more and more with each step. He had made this journey nearly every year, and it never got easier. After all, when they were younger, and still friends, Severus never imagined himself going to visit Lily in a cemetery. And then, once they parted, and he joined the Death Eaters, he always thought it would be Lily who would break down and come visit him wherever he was buried.

But, alas, it was not meant to be. Instead, he was walking into a darkened cemetery, with only the barest sliver of moon and a few lanterns across the way giving light to his path, going to visit his friend in her eternal resting spot. Approaching his dreaded destination, he stopped in front of the gravestone, standing on the right.

 _Lily Potter_

 _Born_

 _30th January 1960_

 _Died_

 _31st October 1981_

"Oh, Lils,' he sighed, reading the words he knew by heart, 'yet another year is upon us. The eighteenth, to be exact, and it's not any easier to visit you here," he said, letting out a deep sigh. "You'll be glad to know that I am...following your advice, Lily. I thought about it, and, just like when we were kids, you were right. I spent twenty years living like a puppet on a string. First, for the Dark Lord, then for Albus," he said, shaking his head. "But, now...I'm making the most of my second chance, Lily. I quit Hogwarts, moved into a nice flat in Diagon Alley, and used some of my savings to buy a shop that I plan to turn into an apothecary," he added, smirking at the gravestone. "I am not quite to the stage where I settle down. I am not planning that out. If it happens, it happens. If not, well...it isn't like I haven't gotten used to the idea of being alone," he sighed. Shaking his head, he cleared those depressing thoughts out of his mind. "I still miss you, Lils. I think I always will, truthfully," he said, kneeling down. Sliding his wand from his sleeve, he conjured a bouquet of pink lilies, burying the stem in the ground as far as he could get it.

"And you," he said, looking to James' side of the grave, "I still don't like you. Or, the memory of you, anyway. But, you made her happy. If you're together in the afterlife, I hope you still do. I have never said this before, but thank you, Potter. For making her happy, and for protecting her until the end. It makes me feel better knowing that the last years of her life were happy," he said, conjuring a bouquet of simple white flowers, also sticking them in the ground. "I still think she could have done better, though," he smirked, standing.

* * *

Reaching out a gloved hand, Severus placed it on top of the gravestone, closing his eyes for a moment before turning and walking out of the cemetery, unaware of the two spirits standing beside the gravestone he was just at.

"I miss you, too, Sev," Lily whispered, waving even though he couldn't see her.

"Git," James grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just one fly through?" he asked, giving his wife puppy dog eyes.

"No," she laughed, grabbing his arm. "Come, James. Let's go to the memorial."

"Again? Lily, it looks nothing like me!" James exclaimed, groaning.

"Yes, again," she nodded. "It's tradition."

"Tradition my arse," he grumbled. "You just like it because it actually looks like you."

"Well...there's that, too," she laughed.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **It's not too creepy to be in a cemetery after dark, is it? Just me that does that?**

 **'Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: I don't own Harry Potter. If only...**

 **Thanks for the reviews, for following, or for adding to your favorites.**

 **I seriously meant to have this up last weekend, but it wasn't a good week. Then, once I got this written, I decided it was absolutely terrible (which it was, btw,) so I started over. Trust me, this chapter is a thousand times better than the last. And, it's given me a lead for the next chapter, so yay!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Diagon Alley side-street - Around seven p.m._

"Hi there," a blonde greeted, smiling down at him as he sat in a booth near the back of the restaurant, "can I get you a drink while you browse through the menu?" she asked, pad at the ready.

"A glass of the house red, please," Severus said, picking up the menu and beginning to look it over as she walked away.

Severus counted it as good fortune that there just happened to be an Italian restaurant tucked back into one of the side streets in Diagon Alley that had previously been unknown to him. After all, he'd been coming to Diagon since he wore knee pants, and never knew this gem was there.

During his summer holidays, when Voldemort was missing and he literally had nothing worth staying in England for, Severus would often pack a bag and disappear to Italy for weeks on end, with no one none the wiser.

For weeks, Severus would be just another tourist, blending in with the crowds. Granted, he was never _touristy_ , no, but he was just a face in the crowd. He was never seen in bright colored clothing, but he did learn to leave his cloak and robe behind. There, he wasn't Professor, he wasn't Potions Master, he was just...Severus, the mysterious Brit who wore black and kept to himself.

And he found he quite missed being 'just Severus', actually.

Until he found the restaurant he was currently sitting in, that is. No one turned to see who entered when he opened the door, nor did they gawk at him as he seated himself tucked away in one of the corner booths, either.

It was refreshing.

* * *

"Ciao, Signore Farisi," Hermione greeted, smiling at the older man at one of the front tables. She had been coming to _VillagioVerde_ since it opened last year, and had become quite the regular, and she knew the other regulars, too.

"Ciao, bella," Mr. Farisi greeted, saluting Hermione with his coffee cup.

"Hermione!" the bubbly blonde waitress waved, on her way to a table.

"Hello, Carla," Hermione smiled, waving at the blonde.

"Mr. Rizzi's in the kitchen, if you're looking for him," Carla shouted over her shoulder.

"Thanks," Hermione nodded, heading for the counter.

"Ah! Bella Mia!" Mrs. Rizzi smiled, clapping her hands together when she caught sight of one of her favorite patrons. "And you bring the bambino!" she laughed in delight, holding her hands out for him.

Hermione smiled. Mrs. Rizzi had been taken with Aiden since first meeting him, and was always delighted to see him when she brought him to the restaurant with her.

"Well, I couldn't come see you guys alone, could I?" Hermione laughed, handing Aiden to the sweet older lady. "Besides, this way, you're not paying attention when I steal a couple of the chocolate biscotti," she laughed.

Mrs. Rizzi tsked, shaking her head fondly at Hermione. "Help yourself to as many as you want, bella. I still say you're entirely too thin," she said, patting Hermione's cheek with her free hand, the other tightly clutching Aiden to her.

Hermione stepped forward and kissed the witch on her cheek. "Bless you, Mrs. Rizzi," she whispered. "Just for that," she said louder, "I'm going to order a dozen, _and_ I'll pay for them instead of stealing them," she laughed, winking at Carla who was standing behind the counter.

"So, I'll just add them to your order, Hermione?" Carla asked, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

"Yep," Hermione nodded.

"Great," Carla said, coming back around the counter, the tray she was carrying holding a single glass of wine. "I'll be back for you in just a minute, cutie," she said, tickling Aiden under his chin. "Just as soon as I take that bloke back there his wine," she said, nodding toward the back booth.

Hermione turned her head in the direction the blonde indicated, and a smile formed on her face. "How about you stay here with Aiden and allow me to take him his drink?" she asked, turning back.

"Sure," Carla said eagerly, handing Hermione the tray.

Hermione walked quietly and quickly over to the booth, coming to a halt directly in front of him. "Hello, Severus," she said, setting his glass down on the table.

* * *

Severus had been wondering what was taking that waitress so long with his drink when he heard his name from just a foot or so in front of his table.

His head popped up, his eyes widening a bit before he composed himself. "Miss...Hermione," he nodded. "You work here, I assume?" he asked, taking in the black skirt and white shirt she was wearing, much like the blonde who had previously taken his order.

Hermione laughed, dropping the tray against her hip. "No, I don't. I'm just helping out Carla for a minute so she can fuss over Aiden," she said, nodding behind her to where Carla was, indeed, completely absorbed in the baby.

"Ah, I see," he said, lifting his glass for a sip. "So, you just dropped in to let the staff fall to pieces over your brother, then?" he asked.

"Nah,' she said, taking a seat and setting the tray on the table, 'he gets that everywhere. I came in here to get some dinner," she shrugged. "It seems as though I've barely had time to sit down today. I mean, it's been a long day and I just...I have no desire whatsoever to cook," she laughed.

"I know that feeling well," Severus replied. "That was what brought me here. I have been getting the shop ready, and after brewing all day, I also lack the inclination to cook," he said.

"Oh? How's it coming?" Hermione asked.

"It is coming along," he nodded. "I still have several things to finish, but, if I keep at the pace I am going now, I should be ready to open officially in December," he said, the pride front and center in his voice.

"That's good," she smiled. "Let me tell you, it's going to be so great to just be able to pop next door when I need a potion instead of having to go all the way to all the way to that little one down by Gringott's," she said. "I'm sure yours will be much better."

"No pressure there," Severus smirked, tilting his head a bit forward in hopes his hair would shield his face enough that Hermione wouldn't see his slightly rosy cheeks.

Hermione let out a little chuckle.

"I'm sorry, Severus. I don't mean to sound like expectations are high, it's just I know you have exacting standards, and wouldn't open unless they were met," she said, blushing. "And on my part, I think it's more faith, really, that you'll be better. I mean, the other apothecary isn't open very regularly, and when they are, prices are too high for such mediocre potions, and they lack a varied selection, at that."

Severus was stunned. The people who had ever had a drop of faith in him he was able to count on one hand. And he was further stunned that it was Hermione Granger, – one third of the aptly named 'Golden Trio', and one of the many students he expected to have his name on their hit list – but she was.

"Hermione, bella," Mrs. Rizzi called, gaining both their attentions, "your order's ready."

"Alright," Hermione said, smiling at the elder woman. Rising, she picked the tray back up, she tilted her head, staring at Severus for a moment. "You probably don't want my advice, and perhaps you already know what you're getting, but I recommend the meatloaf, with the grilled peppers to go with," she said, a small smile on her face as she turned away.

Severus watched as she walked back to the front of the restaurant, grabbed her baby brother, the baby's bag, and her bag with the food, give him a polite nod, and exit. For a reason he didn't care to think about at that moment, he found himself beginning to see the young witch as more than one of his former students.

He decided, however, to contemplate that later, though, as he caught sight of the waitress walking toward him. For now, he'd eat and enjoy his meal.

And you know what? He ordered the meatloaf and peppers, relishing in every bite of the delicious meal.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Do I really have to say it? Alright, fine. (Sigh)...I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Thanks everyone for the reviews, for following, or for adding to your favorites. Either myself or the story. Seriously, guys and gals, it means a lot to see so many of you enjoying what I write.**

 **Alright, I don't have anything else. So...go! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

 _Thursday – Hermione's flat – Diagon Alley_

"Are you out of your mind?" Hermione hissed, narrowing her furious eyes toward her best friend. At this moment, she honestly wouldn't be surprised if flames came shooting out of them.

Harry ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair, sighing. "Hermione, I need you there. You've always been my rock in situations like this," he said.

"Harry, I love you," she said, slumping down on the edge of her sofa. "And you know...you _know..._ I would do virtually anything for you. I have never turned my back on you when you needed me, and I never will, but this? I think we've found my limit," she sighed.

"Hermione, please?" Harry asked. "This is a big night, and I _do_ need you with me," he said.

"Harry, if this was just dinner with you, there wouldn't be a problem," she said. "If it was just dinner with you _and_ Draco, it wouldn't be a problem. It _still_ wouldn't be a problem if it was dinner with you and Draco _and_ the elder Malfoy's out somewhere, but, for fuck's sake, Harry...you're asking me to go to dinner _there!_ " she exclaimed.

"Mione," Harry sighed, moving to sit on the coffee table in front of her, "I know it's asking a lot, I really do. And I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. But this is going to be a big night, and I need you with me," he said.

"You said that already," Hermione grumbled.

"I know," he nodded.

Hermione sighed, staring into Harry's emerald green eyes for a moment. "Damn you, Potter," she whispered. "Alright, I'll go, _BUT_ on the condition that when you're in Italy next month, you bring me back something ridiculously expensive and _not_ a book," she said, a small smile forming on her face.

Harry threw himself at her, tightly wrapping his arms around her waist as he buried his face in her curls. "Ha, anything you want, Mione," he whispered. Pulling back, he rose to his feet, smiling down at her. "I'll be over to pick you and Aiden up at seven tomorrow," he said.

"You want me to bring the baby?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course," Harry nodded. "If we're meeting each others families, well...Aiden's family," he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, yeah, bring him."

"Well, then," Hermione said, letting out a deep breath, "I guess Aiden and I are going shopping. If we are to dine with the King of the Pure-bloods, we need to look our best," she laughed.

Harry laughed, shaking his head. "You have fun with that, love," he said, turning toward her fireplace. "I'll see you tomorrow," he waved, tossing a handful of floo powder down. "Twelve Grimmauld Place," he called.

"See you," she waved, watching him disappear in the green flames. Once he was gone, she let the smile slide off her face, sinking back into the sofa. "I could swing for that wizard someday," she said to herself, glaring at the fireplace.

* * *

 _London – 5 PM_

Two hours later, Hermione was pushing Aiden's pram down the pavement, entering the dress shop her mother used to get all her dresses from. She was feeling quite good, having taken less than an hour to find something appropriate for Aiden to wear, as well as a few other pieces she couldn't resist buying for him.

For the dinner tomorrow night, however, she got him something she had no doubt he would look adorable in. Hermione had bought Aiden a little pin-striped suit that he was going to look great in. It came with a little white onesie that resembled a button-down shirt, complete with a faux bow-tie decoration in a deep shade of red. The vest was a navy blue with white pin-stripes, complete with a faux handkerchief in the same shade of red as the tie. The pants were a matching navy blue with white pin-stripes, with snaps on the insides of the legs to make nappy changing easy.

Hermione knew he was going to be so adorable, even Lucius Malfoy would be unable to deny it.

For herself, however, that was a whole different story. She knew it had to be more than a simple dress she'd wear if she were going to dinner with her friends, but not something she'd wear to the Ministry gala. Formal, but not _too_ formal.

After all, she wasn't Narcissa Malfoy.

 _'Narcissa Malfoy. Fuck,'_ Hermione thought, rolling her eyes. She might know little about Draco's mother, but she did know that there was never a time when the elder witch wasn't perfectly put together. No doubt that Mrs. Malfoy would be wearing an elegant robe, made of only the finest cloth in the wizarding world, her hair would be perfectly coiffed, not a lock out of place, and her makeup would be done perfectly, as well.

 _'Okay. Maybe a_ little _formal'_ , she thought, just as the store owner approached.

"Little Miss Granger, how lovely to see you again," the shop owner, Greta, greeted.

"Hello, Greta," Hermione smiled. "It's nice to see you, too," she said.

"I was devastated to hear about your parents, my dear," Greta said, laying a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I would have come to the service, but I was out of the country. I only heard about what happened a week ago."

"Thanks," Hermione said, giving a short nod.

"Oh, my," Greta gasped, seeing Aiden in his pram. "He's gotten so big!" she exclaimed, reaching down to give his tummy a tickle. "The last time I saw him he was still a tiny little thing," she said, cooing to the baby.

Hermione chuckled. "That's been a while, then. I don't think he's been tiny since he was about a month old, or so," she said.

Greta laughed, her attention still on Aiden. "And what a beautiful boy he is, too. Goodness, you're going to be a heart-breaker when you're older, aren't you?" she cooed.

"He is," Hermione agreed. "Everywhere we go, women faun all over him," she laughed.

"You have custody now, I'm guessing?" Greta asked, standing up straight.

Hermione gave her a curious look, tilting her head. "Of course," she said. "He's my brother, and he wasn't, and isn't, going anywhere," she said.

Greta smiled a small smile, reaching out to cup one of Hermione's cheeks. "You are an incredible sister, and an inspiring young woman," she said.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered, blushing.

"Now," Greta said, clearing her throat, "what can we do for you, dear?"

"Oh, well," Hermione said, "I have a dinner to go to tomorrow, and it's...the family...they're high society types, so I was hoping you'd have something appropriate," she said. "I mean, you always made Mum look amazing, and I was hoping you could help me."

"I'm sure we can find something appropriate," Greta winked, waving her assistant over.

* * *

 _Friday – Hermione's flat – Diagon Alley_

As half past six rolled around on the night, Hermione found herself wishing she would have said no when Harry asked her to dinner. Not only was she a bundle of nerves, but she'd been fighting with her stomach for the last couple of hours, her lunch trying to make a violent reappearance. Two stomach soothers had already been swallowed, and neither had helped.

Just when she was considering owling Harry her apologies and pulling out of going to dinner, she heard the floo sound in the living room.

"Mione? You ready?" Harry called.

 _'Not even close,'_ she thought, letting out a deep breath. Grabbing her clutch off her vanity, she slowly walked out to greet her friend.

"Hi, Harry," she said, sounding as if she were due at the gallows instead of a dinner.

Harry took in the sight of his best friend, and his jaw nearly dropped. He hadn't seen her look that beautiful since the Yule Ball way back when they were fourteen.

Hermione was wearing a sleeveless black dress that had a stunning red and white floral pattern that tapered off near the bottom of the dress. It dipped down just far enough to show a bit of cleavage, but not so much that would be considered tasteless. It was fitted until the waist, where it flared out before ending about an inch above her knees.

Add in a pair of black four inch cross-strapped heels, a black satin clutch, smoky makeup that made her brown eyes pop, a pair of glittering black studs in her ears, her hair pulled back into an elegant half up – half down style, and a shiny black polish on her fingers and toes, and she was absolutely stunning.

"Too much?" Hermione asked, becoming nervous when Harry continued to stare at her.

"Uh...n...no," he stammered, shaking his head. "You look beautiful, Mione," he smiled.

"Thanks," she said, giving him a shaky smile. "I just need to grab Aiden from his crib, and I'll be ready," she said. "Hold this, please," she added, handing him her bag.

"Alright," Harry said, watching as she practically sprinted out of the room, leaving him holding her satin clutch. Curious about what women carried in these things, he cautiously opened the snaps on top, slowly opening the two sides as if expecting it to explode.

Being that it was Hermione's bag, it wouldn't surprise him if it did.

He had to chuckle, though, when he peered inside. It seemed as though Hermione was still placing undetectable extension charms on her bags. Along with a small tube of lipstick and a few other small makeup pieces, she had several diapers for Aiden, two capped baby bottles that he had no doubt had a stasis charm to keep them cold, a binky, and what looked like a change of clothes for Aiden, along with a few other odds and ends.

Harry shook his head, closing the snaps. This was just one of the things he loved about her. Leave it to Hermione to be practical and expand her bag rather than carry a bulky diaper bag to a fancy dinner.

"Say 'hi' to Uncle Harry," Hermione said, entering the room with a very dapper looking Aiden in her arms.

Harry barked out a little laugh, reaching out and running a hand down the baby's cheek. "Hey, mate. You look adorable," he laughed. "Where did you find something like this?" he asked, motioning to Aiden's suit.

"An upscale baby boutique in muggle London," she said, smiling. "I thought he needed something appropriate for the evening," she shrugged.

"Well, if you're ready, shall we go?" Harry asked, handing her her clutch.

Hermione took a deep breath, gripping Aiden closer to her bosom.

"Sure. Let's go," she said, calling on her inner Gryffindor as Harry stepped up beside her and gripped her arm.

"It'll be alright, Mione," he said, giving her a smile as he pulled her in close to him, spinning the three of them to Wiltshire.

* * *

 **Review please.**

 **Til next time!**

 **XOXO - Onyx Obsidian**


End file.
